Cal Travels To #8 Stanford For NorPac Opener

MATCH 7: #8 STANFORD Cardinal (5-1)
Friday, Sept. 20 | 2:30 p.m.
Varsity Turf | Stanford, Calif.
Live Stats: www.GoStanford.com
Live Blog: www.CalBears.com
Broadcast: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting #8 Stanford
No. 8 Stanford enters the weekend on a five-game winning streak spurried after the season-opening loss to No. 4 UConn. Since that 2-1 double overtime loss, the Cardinal have outscored opponents 15-3 and have recorded shutouts in their last three games with GK Dulcie Davies sporting a 0.80 goals against average along with a .737 save percentage. Eight different players have scored a goal for Stanford with kelsey Harbin, Courtney Haldeman and Hope Burke leading the team with three goals apiece. 

NorPac Openers
Cal is 25-10-1 all-time in NorPac openers, including 7-3 the past 10 seasons. Five NorPac openers have gone to overtime, and the Bears are 4-5 all-time against Stanford in NorPac openers.

2012 Stanford L 1-2
2011 at Pacific W 10-0
2010 UC Davis W 5-1
2009 at Pacific L 1-2
2008 at Longwood W 4-1
2007 at Davidson W 2-0
2006 at Stanford W 3-2
2005 Stanford W 1-0
2004 at SW Missouri L (OT) 1-2
2003 at Pacific W 2-0

WK 3: Hendrickson Earns Second Honor
Goalkeeper Courtney Hendrickson has been named the NorPac West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after a 15-save weekend in Cal’s games at Northwestern and against Ohio. Against the 12th-ranked Wildcats, Hendrickson saved a career-high 12 shots in 80 minutes as the Bears took the Wildcats to overtime. In Saturday’s match against the Bobcats, Hendrickson saved three shots and finished the weekend with a .833 save percentage.

More On C. Hendrickson
Courtney Hendrickson currently ranks sixth in the NCAA and first in the NorPac with her .810 save percentage and is 14th in the NCAA with her 1.22 goals against average. Hendrickson - who has been hailed for her saving prowess by opposing coaches in nearly every game this season - has saved 34 shots compared to eight goals allowed for her conference-leading save percentage in her first season as the full starter.

Kruggel’s Return
Reigning NorPac West Offensive Player of the Year Lara Kruggel missed the opening four games due to injury, but the junior returned with a start against Northwestern and immediately made a mark by scoring the game-tying goal with no time remaining in the second half. Last season, Kruggel led the Golden Bears with 18 goals and 44 points - both good for fifth in the Cal record book - and was second on the team with eight assists en route to also being named the NorPac West Offensive Player of the Year. She finised the season 11th in the nation in points per game at 2.20.

Emerging Defense
The California defense of Allie Swartz, Clara Goni, Natalie Gibbons and Michaela Swensen along with GK Courtney Hendrickson has been solid in the early part of the season in limiting opponents the opportunity to score. The Golden Bear defense ranks 14th in the NCAA with a goals against average of 1.22 on the year.

Freshman Filling In
California has relied on a trio of freshmen starters in Sydney Earle, Taylor Lee and Monica Marrazzo in the early going of the season - all three coming in at attacking and midfield positions. In addition, Nicole Henrikkson and Jamie Stankiewicz have seen extended minutes, giving the Bears a young lineup that has performed above expectations for Shellie Onstead to begin the season.

On The Horizon
The Bears host Pacific in a pair of games at Maxwell Family Field next weekend. The Friday (Sept. 27) match will serve as a Pacific “home game” at 7 p.m., followed by a Cal home game on Sunday (Sept. 29) at 12 p.m. that will air live on the Pac-12 Networks.