No. 17 Stanford women’s lacrosse (5-2, Pac-12 1-0) outscored unranked William and Mary (1-5, D1-CAA) 17-13 after a fast-paced dual this Wednesday night at Cagan Stadium. The Cardinal finished strong despite a difficult defensive game during the second half.

“The first half, we had a lot of momentum on our side,” said Stanford’s assistant coach Kristen Carr. Despite two initial goals made by William & Mary, Stanford outshot (21-9) and outdrew (8-5) the Tribe in the first half before entering halftime at 9-3. 

But, by the second half, momentum had shifted in favor of William and Mary: “They were definitely capitalizing on our mistakes and being aggressive [while] playing with an underdog mentality, with nothing to lose,” iterated Carr.

The Tribe totaled more draws, saves, and shots than the Cardinal in the second half, and even managed to close the goal gap to within 3 points with 8 minutes remaining.

“We were never losing the game, but sometimes it felt like we were back on our heels,” said Carr. “If we played them again, we would definitely have to clean up defensively.”

Recognition was given to the Cardinal draw takers who were able to gain valuable possession at the end of the game which helped lead the team to its 17-13 victory.  Sophomore Genesis Lucero finished the game with 7 total draw controls — a career high — and overall, Stanford outdrew William & Mary 17-15.

Highlights from the other side of the field include 4 controls apiece by Meredith Hughes and Cameron Macdonald. McKinley Wade made a career-high 5 goals for William & Mary. Shannon Quinn and McKinley Wade also scored 3 goals each.

However, despite the Tribe’s second-half effort, Stanford ended with more ground balls (19-11), totaled more draw controls, and outshot William and Mary 36-25.

Offensive highlights for the Cardinal include Kelsey Murray’s hat trick and Elizabeth Cusick’s career-tying four goals.

“Kelsey Murray made really big plays offensively – in transition of getting the ball back, and in key movements – she’s a good leader for us,” commented Carr.

The Cardinal prepared for the match by showing film, accounting for what William & Mary would do offensively, and preparing their own defensive strategy.

Stanford Women’s Lacrosse is set to host UConn this Saturday at 1PM. The Match will be held at at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.

Contact Stefan Lacmanovic at stefanl ‘at’ stanford.edu