With a goal from freshman midfielder/forward Catherine Paulson in the 79th minute, No. 21 Stanford women’s soccer (4-2, 3-1 Pac-12) was able to clutch the victory against the No. 22 University of Washington (4-1-2, 1-1-2 Pac-12) by a final score of 1-0. After an unexpected rocky start to the season, the Cardinal have now extended their win streak to three.
On paper, the first half seemed fairly even, with each team taking two shots with one on goal. The Cardinal were relatively physical, with four fouls as opposed to the Huskies’ two. Stanford’s only corner kick of the half came in the 20th minute.
The highlight of the half was Washington’s missed penalty kick. The penalty was a result of a foul from sophomore midfielder Maya Doms, who, in her 85 minutes of playing time, picked up three of Stanford’s nine total fouls. Also picking up three fouls was star senior forward Madison Haley, who played for 82 minutes.
The missed shot allowed the Cardinal to remain calm and keep control for the rest of the first half, maintaining the majority of possession.
The second half proved to be a similar story to the first, with the exception of more aggressive play from the Huskies. Although Stanford freshman midfielder Amy Sayer picked up the only yellow card of the match, Washington ended the game with 13 fouls, 11 of which came in the second half.
The first goal of the game came in the 79th minute. A quick give-and-go in the box with Haley allowed Paulson to put the Cardinal ahead.
The match came down to the wire as the Cardinal fell back on the defensive for the remaining ten minutes. In the 89th minute, the Huskies were awarded a corner kick — their second of the game. However, with a vital save from redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Katie Meyer, the Cardinal were able to hold on.
Although Meyer only had two saves total, she managed to stay engaged throughout all 90 minutes, often providing another passing option for the Stanford defense. Also playing all 90 minutes were seniors midfielder Belle Briede and defender Kiara Pickett, whose experience helped the notably young team.
Because Sunday’s match against Washington State was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, Stanford will have more than a week to rest and gear up for its next game. Next Saturday the Cardinal will face rival Cal at home. Fans can stream the match at pac-12.com. Kick-off will be at 7:30 p.m. PT.