Stanford-Cal in Season Finale
BERKELEY, Calif. -- Stanford will attempt to secure a top-four NCAA tournament seed and keep alive its chances of a share of the Pac-12 title when the Cardinal plays No. 22 California on Thursday at Edwards Stadium. Stanford (16-1-2 overall, 8-1-1 Pac-12) is No. 2 in the RPI and No. 3 in the NSCAA and Soccer America rankings, while the Golden Bears are No. 22 in the RPI and NSCAA, and No. 23 by Soccer America. Plus, Cal holds bragging rights, having won at Stanford in last season’s finale.
The following is a closer look at Thursday’s match:
Who: No. 4 Stanford (16-1-2, 8-1-1) vs. No. 22 California (13-4-2, 5-3-2)
When: Thursday, 2 p.m.
Where: Edwards Stadium, Berkeley, Calif.
All-Time Series Record: Stanford leads, 18-11-4.
TV: Live on Pac-12 Networks (Rich Cellini, Leslie Osborne on the call)
Live Stats: Look for links on GoStanford.com
Twitter: @StanfordWSoccer
Week in Review: Stanford recorded its sixth consecutive victory and third consecutive shutout when it routed Oregon State, 7-0, on Sunday in a home regular-season finale. Taylor Uhl earned the 32nd hat trick in program history and her first at Stanford in the match. Stanford outshot the Beavers 48-3, crushing its previous school shots record of 42. Lo’eau LaBonta scored twice in the match, one match after scoring the winner on a rebound to beat Oregon 1-0 in overtime. Stanford outshot the Ducks, 26-4, including 16-1 after halftime. Defensively, Stanford extended its shutout streak to 293:49.
Pac-12 Hopes: The chances are slim, but Stanford still can earn a share of the Pac-12 title with UCLA, which has clinched at least a share of its 11th Pac-10/Pac-12 championship and the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. Stanford must beat California and UCLA must lose to USC on Friday night at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Stanford has won nine Pac-10/Pac-12 titles, including four consecutive perfect conference seasons from 2009-12.
Selection Show: The NCAA Division I selection show will air on NCAA.com at 1:30 p.m. PT. The 64-team field and the seeding will be announced, as well. Stanford has advanced to the past 16 NCAA tournaments and has a 21-match home NCAA winning streak dating back to 2008. Stanford has appeared in 23 tournaments overall.
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Thursday’s Opponent, California: The Golden Bears have a wide variety of scoring options, as evidenced by the 15 different players who have scored goals. Cal is on a five-match unbeaten streak and holding fourth place in the Pac-12. Even with a loss, Cal (13-4-2, 5-3-2), with an RPI of No. 22, seems assured of an NCAA at-large berth. Taylor Comeau (8 goals, 6 assists, 22 pts.) is tied for fifth in the conference in points.
The Stanford-Cal Series: Stanford leads the all-time series 18-11-4, though Cal pulled out a 1-0 overtime victory at Stanford last season snapping a streak of five consecutive Cardinal victories in the series, in which Stanford outscored Cal, 13-1. Cal scored on a header by Rachel Mercik at 98:08 for the victory. Cal’s last victory in Berkeley was by 1-0 in 2006.
Stanford’s Defense: Stanford is among the nation’s leaders in several defensive categories:
• Stanford is tied for first in shutouts with UCLA with 15.
• Stanford is tied with UCLA for first in shutout percentage, with 15 shutouts in 19 matches, for a percentage of .789.
• Stanford is tied with Northeastern for second in fewest goals allowed, with 6. Stanford trails only UCLA, with four.
• Stanford is third in goals against average, at 0.304, trailing only UCLA (0.206) and Northeastern (0.300).
Rankings: Stanford moved up to No. 3 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire coaches’ poll after victories over Oregon and Oregon State last weekend. Stanford remains at No. 3 in the Soccer America rankings, but dropped one spot to No. 2 in the RPI.
Team Captains: Stanford’s team captains this season are seniors Alex Doll, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Chioma Ubogagu.
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Seniors: Thursday’s match against California marks the final regular-season match for these seven Stanford seniors (another senior, Haley Rosen, has one more season):
• Alex Doll: A three-year starter and two-year captain, Doll is a player whose contributions are not always reflected by stats. She is the engine that makes the Stanford system work. She maintains a GPA of 3.51 as an economics major. Doll will graduate this spring with a degree in economics and plans to work in finance and live, in her words, “an adventurous life.” She is co-president of the Cardinal Council, which represents the 800 student-athletes on campus and serves as a mentor for Partners for Academic Excellence, helping student-athletes use their time wisely and take advantage of resources.
• Hannah Farr: A two-sport athlete, Farr was the conference player of the year and a second-team All-America in lacrosse and in her first season as a starting outside back in soccer. Farr, a graduate of San Francisco’s St. Ignatius Prep, is the first player ever to double in soccer and lacrosse at Stanford. She has scored 87 goals in lacrosse and one in soccer -- the winner in a 1-0 victory over USC on Oct. 12. Farr will graduate this spring with a degree in science, technology, and society and a minor in creative writing. She plans to work in business development or business strategy and one day start her own company.
• Lo’eau LaBonta: A versatile playmaker with a deadly long-range shot, LaBonta has made habit of tormenting UCLA. In six career matches against the Bruins, LaBonta scored four goals, all tying or go-ahead scores. LaBonta scored the OT winner against Oregon and had two more against Oregon State last weekend, and is leading the team with 10 goals. LaBonta will graduate this spring with a degree in engineering with a focus in product design. She plans to pursue a professional soccer career before working in the product design field.
• Kendall Romine: A graduate student in international relations, Romine is a fifth-year senior who started in the 2011 NCAA championship match as a redshirt freshman. Romine has been a part of three College Cup teams and is 100-10-7 in her five seasons. Romine has been a crucial part of the central defense, first alongside Alina Garciamendez and now Maddie Bauer. Romine earned an undergraduate degree in international relations with a minor in Spanish, and will earn her master’s this fall in international relations before heading to law school.
• Lauren Schmidt: When Schmidt scored the third goal in a 3-0 victory against Colorado on Oct. 16, she became the final member of Stanford’s senior class to score during their careers. She followed with her first two career assists, in her first career start, on Sunday against Oregon State. Schmidt will graduate this spring with a degree in human biology with an emphasis on child development. After a year working, she will apply for a graduate program as a physician’s assistant.
• Chioma Ubogagu: Ubogagu has scored 24 goals and has 34 assists at Stanford. She ranks No. 4 on Stanford’s all-time career assists list. Her 7 goals and 6 assist, place rank her No. 2 on the team in points (20). Ubogagu’s 34 assists are tied with Sarah Rafanelli (1990-93) for fourth on Stanford’s career list. A starter on the NCAA championship team and the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2011, Ubogagu will graduate this spring with a degree in film and media studies, and pre-med. She plans on playing pro soccer before a career in animated or live action film editing.
• Taylor Uhl: A third-team All-America in 2012 and the 2013 Pac-12 goal-scoring leader with 12, Uhl ranks No. 4 among NCAA Division I active scorers, with 51. She scored her first Stanford hat trick on Sunday against Oregon State, becoming the 20th player in program history to do so. Uhl has scored six goals in her past five matches, highlighted by a two-goal, one-assist performance -- including the winning goal -- in a 3-2 overtime triumph over Arizona on Oct. 24. Uhl Taylor will graduate this spring with a degree in biomechanical engineering and will head to grad school in the fall.
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Stanford to Host: For the ninth consecutive season Stanford will play host to an NCAA tournament match. Stanford will be among 32 teams hosting in the first round. The match will be Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. If Stanford wins, it likely will host the second and third rounds as well, on Friday, Nov. 21 and Sunday, Nov. 23. The second round will consist of four teams in a Friday doubleheader. The winners play in Sunday’s third round. Stanford has won their past 21 NCAA tournament matches at home.
Overtime: Stanford has played six overtime matches, and has a 4-0-2 record. Here’s how they turned out:
• Aug. 22: Chioma Ubogagu scored at 99:00 to win at No. 4 North Carolina in the season opener, 1-0. It was Stanford’s first-ever victory over the Tar Heels, in 13 tries.
• Sept. 7: The Cardinal was held to a 0-0 draw against visiting No. 25 Notre Dame.
• Sept. 12: A brilliant save by Jane Campbell kept No. 6 Florida off the board and Lo’eau LaBonta won it at 92:47, 1-0.
• Sept. 26: Stanford was unable to hold a halftimem lead, allowing its first goal of the season after nine consecutive shutouts to open the year, tying host Utah, 1-1.
• Oct. 24: Taylor Uhl had two goals and an assist to give Stanford a 3-2 victory at Arizona. She tapped in a rebound at 98:47 for the winner.
• Oct. 30: Lo’eau LaBonta scored at 94:40 on a rebound of a saved shot to lift Stanford past visiting Oregon, 1-0.
Stanford Qualifies for World Cup: Stanford alum Ali Riley ’10 and her New Zealand national team booked passage to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup by routing the Cook Islands, 11-0, on Oct. 29 in the final match of the Oceania Nation’s Cup. The Football Ferns qualified for one of the final spots in the tournament June 6-July 5 in Canada.
New Zealand’s qualification means that Stanford alumnae could represent four of the 24 nations taking part. Considering each team’s most recent rosters, Stanford has six former players on qualifying teams – Kelley O’Hara ’10 and Christen Press ’11 of the United States, Alina Garciamendez ’12 and Teresa Noyola ’12 of Mexico, Rachel Quon ’13 of Canada, and Riley of New Zealand. All were teammates on Stanford’s 2009 team that went 25-1 and reached the school’s first NCAA final.
In addition, Rachel (Buehler) Van Hollebeke ’07 and goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart ’04 have been active on the U.S. national team in the past year and could be in the mix for final roster spots.
Toughest Schedules: Given the records of its cumulative opposition, Stanford’s schedule is rated as the seventh toughest in the country:
7. Stanford (201-113-36, .626)
Stanford’s Situational Records:
• When scoring first: 16-1-1
• When opponents score first: 0-0
• When leading at halftime: 11-0
• When tied at halftime: 6-1-1
• When trailing at halftime: 0-0
• When trailing at any time: 0-1
• At Home: 10-0-1
• At Opponent: 5-1-1
• At Neutral Field: 1-0
Stanford’s Offense: Much has been said about Stanford’s defense, but the Cardinal’s offense has been notable for its versatility. Twelve different players have scored, accounting for their 44 goals. Seven of those players have scored more than one.
Stanford Season Highlights:
• Opened season with a double-overtime winner from Chioma Ubogagu to beat North Carolina for the first time in 13 tries.
• Unscored upon during the nonconference season, during a nine-match schedule that included five ranked teams.
• Compiled a school-record shutout streak of 893 minutes, 58 seconds, dating back to the end of the 2013 season.
• Beat No. 6 Florida, 1-0, on a penalty kick by Lo’eau LaBonta in overtime.
• Paul Ratcliffe earned his 200th coaching victory at Stanford, during an 8-0 rout of Dayton on Sept. 14.
• Ryan Walker-Hartshorn became the first Stanford player since Kelley O’Hara in 2009 to register two hat tricks in a single season, and fourth overall.
• Moved to No. 1 in the RPI rankings on Sept. 29, though the Cardinal has since dropped to No. 2.
* Set a school record with 48 shots, in beating Oregon State, 7-0, on Sunday. Taylor Uhl earned her first Stanford hat trick, and became the 20th player in school history to achieve one.
Some notes on Stanford’s defense:
• Jane Campbell’s shutout streak of 803:18, which ended Sept. 26, is the 18th-longest by a goalkeeper in NCAA Division I history.
• Stanford has trailed only once this season, against UCLA, for a total of 5:11.
• Nine consecutive shutouts set school records for consecutive shutouts and consecutive shutouts to open a season.
• Sophomore Jane Campbell has 18 shutouts in her career, placing her at No. 7 on Stanford’s all-time list. No. 6 is Carly Smolak (1997-2000) with 19.
Another Defensive Streak: Stanford has not allowed more than two goals in a match over its past 229 contests, not since a 4-0 loss to North Carolina on Sept. 11, 2005, in San Francisco. During that stretch, Stanford allowed two goals 20 times, which comes out to once every 11.2 matches.
Two other streaks of note: Stanford hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a match at home since Oct. 5, 1998, in a 3-2 overtime loss to BYU. Stanford hasn’t allowed more than two at home in regulation since Oct. 10, 1997, in a 3-2 loss to USC.
Possible Defensive Records: With 15 shutouts, the 2014 team is fifth for most shutouts in a season. Here are the top defenses in school history:
Total shutouts:
19 -- 2002
17 -- 1993, 2008, 2011
15 -- 2006, 2010, 2014
Best Team Goals-Against Average for a Season:
0.17, 2002 (Starting GK: Nicole Barnhart)
0.32, 2008 (Kira Maker)
0.34, 2011 (Emily Oliver)
0.43, 2004 (Nicole Barnhart)
0.45, 2010 (Emily Oliver)
Note: Stanford has a 0.30 GAA in 2014 (Jane Campbell)
2014 Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll:
1. UCLA (11), 121; 2. Stanford (1), 110; 3. California, 91; 4. USC, 83; 5. Colorado, 78; 6. Washington State, 69; 7. Utah, 67; 8. Arizona State, 51; 8. Washington, 51; 10. Arizona, 33; 11. Oregon, 22; 12. Oregon State, 16.
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U-20 World Cup: Three Stanford players -- sophomore goalkeeper Jane Campbell, sophomore defender Stephanie Amack, and freshman midfielder Andi Sullivan -- were on the U.S. team at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Canada. The U.S. reached the quarterfinals before losing to North Korea on penalty kicks. Amack and Sullivan started all four matches for the U.S., Amack at right outside back and Sullivan as a holding midfielder. They missed 12 days of training camp before joining the team the week of its opener and beem regular starters ever since. Senior forward Chioma Ubogagu and Amack were on the winning U.S. team in 2012.
Possible Starters:
GK: Jane Campbell, so.; Fifth in nation in GAA (0.34).
D: Hannah Farr, sr.; Two-sport standout, plays outside back.
D: Maddie Bauer, so.; 2013 NSCAA All-Pacific Region 1st team.
D: Laura Liedle, jr.; Three-year starter at outside back.
D: Kendall Romine, 5th sr.; Starter on 2011 NCAA title team.
M: Alex Doll, sr.; Team captain and three-year starter.
M: Lo’eau LaBonta, sr.; Deadly long-range shooter.
M: Andi Sullivan, fr.; U.S. co-captain at U-20 World Cup.
F: Chioma Ubogagu, sr.; Captain and four-year starter.
F: Megan Turner, so.; Active player who can create goals.
F: Taylor Uhl, sr.; Has scored six goals in past five games.
All-Time Active Scorers: Stanford senior Taylor Uhl ranks No. 4 among active NCAA Division I players in career goals. Uhl has 54 and trails only Illinois State’s Rachel Tejada (67), Winthrop’s Krystyna Freda (63), and La Salle’s Kelsey Haycook (58). Uhl scored her first hat trick for Stanford, on Sunday against Oregon State and has scored six goals in her past five matches. Uhl arrived last season as a junior transfer from Minnesota, where she led the nation in goals (21) and points (51) in 2012 and earned NSCAA third-team All-America honors. Uhl’s 12 goals last year led the Pac-12. Uhl carries a 3.79 GPA at Stanford is majoring in biomechanical engineering and last week was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 first team.