The Stanford women’s soccer team allowed a goal for the first time this season. It proved to be big in a 1-1 draw against Utah in a Pac-12 Conference double-overtime opener Friday.
After Megan Turner gave Stanford a first-half lead, Utah’s Mariah Elmer equalized at 47:07, ending Stanford’s school-record shutout streak at 893 minutes, 58 seconds.
Stanford was the last remaining unscored upon team in NCAA Division I. The goal also snapped the Cardinal’s streak at nine shutouts.
The No. 4 Cardinal (8-0-2 overall, 0-0-1) extended its unbeaten streak in conference openers to 14, but it was unranked Utah (7-0-3, 0-0-1) that seemed to have the most to celebrate.
After playing a brutal nonconference schedule that included five ranked teams, Stanford got off to a strong start on Turner’s goal. A slide tackle by central defender Kendall Romine set up the possession.
Turner passed the ball to Lo’eau LaBonta near the center circle and took off down the right flank. LaBonta’s long pass found Turner wide of the penalty area and Turner, on her first touch, sent a ball from two yards in front of the end line over goalkeeper Lindsey Luke and off the back post and into the goal.
Whether the ball was played as a shot or a cross to Chioma Ubogagu at the far post didn’t matter. It resulted in Turner’s second goal in as many matches.
Utah tied the match just after halftime when Maddie Bauer’s clearing attempt was headed back toward the Cardinal defense.
The ball bounced over the head of a Cardinal defender and on to the feet of Elmer, open in the penalty area. She dribbled forward and scored with a shot inside the near post.
Stanford had the best chance after that when LaBonta struck a right-footed half-volley that was on track for the top of the net, only for Luke to parry the shot with her fingertips over the crossbar in the 107th minute.
Stanford returns to action for its conference home opener, next Friday against Washington at 8 p.m.
A Sunday match (1 p.m.) against Washington State completes a stretch of eight at home in nine matches. Both will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.
Field hockey
No. 9 Stanford made program history Friday when it defeated host No. 2 Connecticut 3-1, earning its first victory against the Huskies and knocking off its highest-ranked opponent ever.
The Cardinal (9-1) overcame an early deficit to defeat the Huskies. The highest ranked opponent Stanford had beaten prior to Friday’s victory was No. 3 Michigan State on Aug. 31, 2001.
Stanford was efficient against the defending national champion Huskies (6-2), scoring three times on four shots.
Alex McCawley, Katie Keyser and Clemence Couteau scored a goal apiece, while Maddie Secco and Elise Ogle contributed assists.
The Cardinal defense was excellent, routinely stepping up in plays to intercept passes and prevent possible Connecticut scoring opportunities.
Dulcie Davies made three saves in goal, including one in the final five minutes of regulation on a penalty corner while Stanford was a player down.
Stanford has held opponents to one or fewer goals in all 10 games this season.
McCawley knotted the game at 1-1 in the 25th minute when she took a pass on the right side of the cage from Secco and knocked it into the goal. It was McCawley’s team-leading eighth goal on the year.
Stanford took the lead just before halftime at 34:09 when Ogle intercepted a pass in Connecticut’s defensive zone and led a 2-on-0 with Keyser.
Ogle carried ball into the circle and drew the Huskies’ goalkeeper off the goal line. She fed a nice pass to Keyser on the left side of the cage, who fired a shot into the roof of the goal.
It was Keyser’s second goal on the year and gave Stanford the momentum and lead heading into halftime.
Couteau stretched Stanford’s advantage to 3-1 in the 44th minute when she knocked in a loose ball sitting in the center of the semicircle. Couteau has scored three goals on four shots this season.
Stanford fought off one final scoring opportunity by Connecticut when Kelsey Harbin received a green card at 65:33. The Huskies earned a penalty corner and fired a shot on goal that Davies turned aside.
The Cardinal will look to carry its momentum into Sunday’s matchup against Yale at 9 a.m. (PT).
Women’s swimming
Stanford won 11 events, including eight by freshmen, to start the season with a 174-124 win at Utah.
Newcomers Janet Hu (3 wins), Simone Manuel (2 wins), Gracia Leydon-Mahoney (2 wins) and Sacred Heart Prep grad Ally Howe produced victories for the freshman class.
“We had a lot of fun racing a strong, well-coached Utah team today,” Stanford coach Greg Meehan said. “This time of year isn’t about posting fast times; it’s about committing to details within our races. And I thought the team did that very well today, especially at 5,000 feet above sea level.”
Hu and Manuel started her collegiate career undefeated in individual events. Hu won the 100 back, 100 free and 200 IM, while Manuel claimed the 50 free and 100 fly. Howe dominated the 200 back and finished second in the 200 free.
Leydon-Mahoney, who was a member of the U.S. Youth Olympic Team that competed in China over the summer, also began her first season on The Farm with an undefeated mark by owning both diving events.
She posted a pair of final scores over 300, as no other diver reached 275 in either event. It was the first competition of diving coach Patrick Jeffrey’s tenure after 15 years at Florida State.
Stanford’s other wins came from All-American seniors Maddy Schaefer and Katie Olsen, who won their only individual events of the day.
Schaefer took the 200 free by nearly a second over Howe and freshman Alexandra Meyers, while Olsen clipped Utah’s Stina Colleou by 0.19 in the 200 breast. Olsen and Colleou went 1-2 in the event at last year’s Pac-12 Championships.
The Cardinal started the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay (Grace Carlson, Olsen, Hu, Lia Neal), before swimming the 200 free relay, the last event of the meet, as an exhibition.
Freshmen also highlighted the meet for Utah, which received three of their four individual wins from members of that class.
Stanford is back in action Oct. 24 against Oregon State. The Cardinal also hosts its annual Alumni Meet Oct. 24, the Friday of homecoming weekend.
Women’s volleyball
Top-ranked Stanford swept visiting Washington State, 25-21, 25-9, 25-20, Friday for its 12th straight win to start the season.
The Cardinal (2-0, 12-0) hosts No. 13 Oregon (11-0 entering Saturday’s match against Colorado) next Friday at 7 p.m. in an important early-season match.
The Ducks are one of three undefeated teams in the Pac-12 along with Stanford and Washington.
The Cardinal was led by junior middle blocker Inky Ajanaku, who tallied 11 kills, four blocks and a season high three assists.
Senior opposite Morgan Boukather added nine kills on a .375 hitting percentage, while redshirt freshman middle blocker Merete Lutz tallied eight kills on 16 errorless swings.
Junior setter Madi Bugg finished with 30 assists, six digs and two blocks, while senior libero Kyle Gilbert had a match-high 16 digs. Junior outside hitter Brittany Howard added seven kills and six digs.
As a team, Stanford hit .283 while holding WSU to a .113 clip. The Cardinal has held seven of its 12 opponents under a .150 hitting percentage this season.
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics