Senior Night Victory – Stanford Cardinal

STANFORD, Calif. – Hosting SMU on Saturday night time within the closing regular-season house match of the yr, No. 2 Stanford used 4 second-half objectives to earn a 5-1 victory over the Mustangs.

The Cardinal (14-1-1, 8-0-1 ACC) celebrated its Senior Night on Saturday, honoring seniors Jasmine Aikey, Elise Evans, Allie Montoya, Logan Smith and Freya Spiekerkoetter previous to the win over SMU (8-7-2, 2-5-2 ACC).

Stanford, which completed the match with a 27-10 benefit in photographs, discovered itself in a scoreless contest headed into the forty first minute. Sophomore Sammy Smith lastly put the Cardinal on the board, sending a bending cross towards the again submit that skipped previous everybody and located the again nook of the online. The purpose was Smith’s first profession tally.

Leading 1-0 popping out of the break, Andrea Kitahata scored a pair of objectives in fast succession, putting within the 56th and 58th minutes, to make it 3-0 Stanford.

Playing on the suitable facet of the assault, Eleanor Klinger dribbled towards the tip line, reduce the ball again and despatched a cross towards the again submit the place Kitahata one-timed it house for her first of the night time. Kitahata was in the suitable place on the proper time two minutes later as Charlotte Kohler put a shot on body that was knocked down by goalkeeper Aubrey Brown solely to have the rebound run into the purpose by redshirt senior.

With the Cardinal celebrating Senior Night on Saturday, it was solely becoming to have a pair of seniors discover the again of the online, as L. Smith delivered her first of the season within the 63rd minute earlier than Evans netted her fifth within the sixty fifth. Kohler was once more credited with the help on each objectives, working her match complete to 3, as she performed a ball out to L. Smith who dribbled towards purpose and unleashed her shot to the close to submit to beat Brown. Evans’ purpose was as soon as once more an opportunistic tally as Kohler despatched a shot on body that was saved, however Evans pursued the rebound and put the ending touches on the Cardinal scoring.

Refusing to permit the Cardinal a clear sheet, SMU broke by with a purpose within the 82nd minute, making the most of a nook kick alternative when Sydney Japic acquired on the tip of a service from Paxton Bock for her second purpose of the yr.

The purpose got here just some minutes after a flurry of saves from sophomore goalkeeper Kaiya Jota. Jota was credited with two saves after relieving Stanford starter Caroline Birkel within the sixty fifth minute.

Stanford will wrap up the common season on Thursday when it travels to cross-town rival California for a 3 p.m. kickoff in Berkeley.

MATCH NOTES:

• The Cardinal has scored a minimum of three objectives in 11 of the primary 16 matches of the yr, and has reached the five-goal plateau seven occasions
• Stanford’s 61 mixed objectives over the 16 matches are probably the most since scoring 65 within the first 16 of 2017
• Stanford is averaging a national-best 23.94 photographs per recreation, having posted a minimum of 20 in 11 of the primary 16 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (3.81 objectives per recreation)
• The Cardinal carries a 60-7-9 total report over its final 76 matches
• The Cardinal owns a 130-7-10 report at Cagan Stadium because the begin of the 2014 season … completed the common season 10-0-0 at house and outscored its opponents 43-4 in these matches
• Andrea Kitahata contributed a minimum of one level in every of the primary six matches this season and has a degree in 13 of the 16 matches this yr … has scored in three consecutive contests, and has a purpose in eight of the final 11 total … leads the workforce in factors with 30 (12 objectives and 6 assists) … has scored a brace in consecutive matches and has 4 profession multi-goal video games … is the primary Cardinal to attain a number of objectives in consecutive matches since Catarina Macario scored 4 towards Prairie View A&M (November 15) and two extra towards Hofstra (November 22) within the first two matches of the 2019 NCAA Tournament
• Charlotte Kohler has contributed a minimum of a degree in 12 of the primary 16 matches this season, together with every of the final six … is the primary Cardinal to have three assists in a match since Catarina Macario had 5 vs. Prairie View A&M on November 15, 2019