Publication Date: Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Stanford women's soccer in NCAA tourney
Stanford women's soccer in NCAA tourney
(November 09, 2005) Cardinal will open postseason play on Friday against St. Louis in Santa Clara
by Rick Eymer
The Stanford women's soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight season and 15 of the past 16 by playing its best soccer of the season over the weekend and moving up four spots in the volatile Pac-10 standings in the process.
Stanford (4-3-2, 10-6-3) needed wins in both matches against Oregon State on Friday and Oregon on Sunday for the chance at postseason play. Mission accomplished.
The Cardinal plays St. Louis (15-4) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Santa Clara. The Broncos (14-4-2) and Fresno State (10-9-1) meet at 5 p.m. with the winners meeting on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Santa Clara is seeded second in a bracket that includes No. 1 seed Penn State, No. 3 Connecticut and No. 4 Texas A&M. Portland, North Carolina and UCLA also earned No. 1 seeds.
"As a coach you realize how difficult it is to make the playoffs," Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. "The players may think it's part of their tradition, but you have to fight to get in. One of our goals was to get into the tournament. From here the goals is to win the national title."
Stanford may be at full strength when it takes the field against the Billikens. Senior forward Leah Tapscott missed the conference season with a foot injury and is walking without crutches for the first time in six weeks. Freshman forward Hillary Heath injured her knee against Cal a month ago and could also return.
Defense has been a key for the Cardinal all season, with seniors Hayley Hunt and Lindsey Hunt the core of it. Junior Rachel Buehler and freshmen Marissa Abegg and Allison Falk are also key members.
"As much as we've done well, we're still young," Ratcliffe said. "Hayley and Lindsey are the heart and soul and are great leaders."
Stanford enters the tournament after playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Cardinal already has played 11 teams in the tournament, including top seeds Portland, UCLA and North Carolina, along with seeded Santa Clara, California, and Texas A&M.
"Our strength of schedule should help us," Ratcliffe said. "It's normal for us to play at this caliber."
Kelley Birch's first career goal and the return of freshman goaltender Alex Gamble sparked Stanford's 1-0 victory over host Oregon State on Friday.
Birch added another goal in the Cardinal's 2-0 victory over Oregon on Sunday.
Birch, a freshman midfielder out of Torrey Pines High, has started three games this season but has appeared in all 19. Her goal against the Beavers came in the 68th minute, with an assist from junior midfielder Shari Summers, who was knocked out of the game in the first half.
"She's been the first one off the bench. We call her super sub," Ratcliffe said of Birch. "She's getting results. The freshmen as a group have done a tremendous job. They've gotten better and are coming into their own."
Gamble was in goal for the first time in two weeks and made two saves en route to her seventh shutout.
Overall, Stanford goalies Gamble, sophomore Erica Holland and Elizabeth Barnard have combined on 11 shutouts and have am 0.76 GAA.
Ratcliffe has confidence in both Gamble and Holland, who started against Oregon.
"They are very even right now," Ratcliffe said. "It comes down to who plays better, or who looks sharper."
Stanford finished fourth in the Pac-10, quite an accomplishment considering the Cardinal was eighth entering play last weekend.
Senior Martha West, who is older than both assistant coaches Sarah Kate Noftsinger and Nicole Barnhart, assisted on Birch's goal and added another goal in the win over Oregon.
Noftsinger, who became the first female athlete from Wake Forest to be drafted by a professional team, played two years with the Washington Freedom before joining the staff at Stanford in May of 2004.
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