No. 3 seed Stanford women’s soccer (15-4-1, 5-4-1 ACC) is no stranger to late-game drama. Of the Cardinal’s previous five games, three had been decided by goals in the final ten minutes. So when Stanford found themselves down 1-0 late against UConn (14-5-4, 4-3-3 Big East) in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, the moment wasn’t too big. 

The hero on this occasion was junior forward Allie Montoya. In the 85th minute, Montoya wiggled free along the right flank to deliver a perfectly placed cross to sophomore midfielder Shae Harvey, who’s header brought the game level. 

Then, with just 31 seconds remaining, freshman defender Lizzie Boamah ripped a shot that was parried away by the Huskies’ goalkeeper, only to fall squarely to Montoya’s feet. With a tap-in at point-blank range, Montoya had scored Stanford’s second goal in the span of five minutes, completing the comeback and securing the Cardinal’s spot in the third round of the NCAA tournament. 

“That’s playoff soccer for you, at it’s best,” said head coach Paul Ratcliffe. 

The goal was Montoya’s first of the season, and the Cardinal’s second game-winner scored within the final minute. Just four games earlier, junior forward Lumi Kostmayer had notched the decisive goal in Stanford’s victory against Louisville (7-6-5, 2-5-3 ACC) with two seconds remaining. 

Despite the scoreline and the dramatic finish, the Cardinal actually dominated much of the game. After giving up a goal in the 11th minute, Stanford outshot the Huskies 27-5, with UConn not recording a single shot in the entire second half.

Regardless, it’s the final result that matters, and Stanford’s dramatic comeback keeps the Cardinal dancing and their hopes of a College Cup redemption alive. Their NCAA tournament run continues on Sunday, where they will face No. 2 seed Arkansas (16-2-2, 8-1-1 SEC) in Fayetteville. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. PST.