Although the two teams came into the matchup with similar records, No. 14 Stanford lacrosse (3-1, 1-0 MPSF) quickly showed Harvard (2-1) why the Cardinal are a nationally-ranked team, as they defeated the Crimson 13-4 on Saturday at home.
Sophomore goalkeeper Allie DaCar was Stanford’s key player, earning a career-high 14 saves. Senior Lucy Dikeou and junior Alex Poplawski each propelled the Cardinal to victory on the other end of the field with a pair of hat tricks, putting on an impressive offensive display.
Stanford started the game strong, with Dikeou putting a goal in net in the first five minutes of the game. Soon after, each team saw successive shots hit the crossbar. Even with a strong attack on both sides, it wasn’t until halfway through the first half that Harvard tied the game at one apiece.
However, the Cardinal picked up their pace and finished the half with four unanswered goals, moving them to a 5-1 lead. The Crimson actually led the scoreboard at half with 14 shots compared to the Cardinal’s 12; however, Stanford’s superior goaltending and finishing ability allowed the team to maintain the lead in the face of the Crimson attack.
Moving into the second half, Harvard came out strong, firing in two quick goals. The Crimson’s attempt to get back into the game ended, though, when Stanford went on an unstoppable 6-0 scoring run, led by Poplawski and sophomore Kelly Myers.
Stanford’s 13-4 victory advanced the Cardinal to 3-1 on the season. The team finished the game leading in shots on goal (23-18), draw controls (10-9) and saves (14-10).
Looking forward to this weekend, Stanford will host non-conference opponent Vanderbilt (3-1) for the Cardinal’s third home game in a row. The Commodores enter Sunday’s game with three wins on their record.
Last season, the two teams competed at Vanderbilt’s indoor Multipurpose Facility on a turf field, which allowed for a fast-paced, high-scoring game. Stanford emerged with a 22-11 victory, led by Dikeou with 6 goals and current junior Kelsey Murray with 4 goals. Because Sunday’s game will be played in 70-degree weather on grass, this game should be very different from last year’s matchup.
The game will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. Live stats will be available at GoStanford.com.
Contact Sydney Shaw at sshaw17 ‘at’ stanford.edu.