Stanford field hockey (8-4, 1-3 ACC) battled No. 8 Wake Forest (8-4, 3-1 ACC) at home on Sunday but fell 4-1. The Cardinal entered the matchup coming off a 3-2 overtime upset over No. 3 Duke on Friday night for their first conference win of the season. 

Wake Forest opened the scoring early, bookended by consistent stretches of offensive pressure on the Stanford defense through the first quarter. Despite strong saves from junior goalkeeper Anya Jackson, including on a one-on-one breakaway for the Demon Deacons, Wake Forest scored two more on four consecutive corners. Stanford was left trailing by three going into the second quarter.

The visiting defense continued to prove difficult to beat as the game continued. Stanford recorded just six shots on goal through the first half, as opposed to Wake Forest’s 13. A turnover orchestrated by senior defender/midfielder Bea Varley and freshman midfielder Jackie O’Donnell during the second period led to one of Stanford’s first sustained periods in the offensive zone. However, the effort proved fruitless as Wake Forest converted on a Cardinal turnover for their fourth goal of the day. 

The teams traded shots and possession for much of the third, with neither Wake Forest keeping up the sustained offensive pressure of the first half nor Stanford finding consistent time in Wake Forest’s zone. 

Not long after the start of the fourth quarter, senior midfielder/forward Star Horlock weaved her way through Wake Forest’s defense to find the back of the net unassisted. Her team-leading seventh goal of the season gave Stanford its first goal of the day. Wake Forest’s early lead was insurmountable, with the game ending in a 4-1 loss for Stanford.

Sunday’s game marked Stanford’s fourth conference loss of the season, dropping to a 1-4 record against ACC opponents and an 8-5 record overall. The Cardinal will travel away to play U.C. Davis on Friday at 1 p.m.