Clean Sheet to Open Pac-12 Play
STANFORD, Calif. – Goals from Samantha Williams, Jojo Harber and Maya Doms backed a defensive effort that saw Utah manage just four shots as No. 10 Stanford (7-2-0, 1-0-0) opened Pac-12 play with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Utes (5-4-1, 0-1-0) on Friday night from Cagan Stadium.
Williams quickly got the scoring started for the Cardinal, netting her first goal of the season in the sixth minute. Fifth-year Belle Briede dribbled around a defender and played a perfect pass to Julia Leontini who one-touched the ball through the back line and onto the foot of a breaking Williams. The native of Laguna Beach, Calif. went one-on-one with Utah keeper Chelsea Peterson, cutting the ball past Peterson and into the open net for the goal.
The goal was the fifth of Williams' career after scoring four as a freshman last season.
The Cardinal extended the lead to 2-0 in the 33rd minute as Katie Duong teed up a free kick and lofted a long ball toward the far side of the net where Jojo Harber, who entered the match less than two minutes prior, headed it home for her second goal of the season and seventh of her career.
Stanford, which finished the match with 22 shots, managed 13 in the opening half.
Maya Doms, Stanford's leading goal scorer entering the match, collected her sixth goal of the year in the 70th minute – receiving a perfectly placed pass from Paige Rubinstein out of the back of the Stanford attack and slotting a shot past Peterson.
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Peterson played all 90 minutes in goal for Utah, amassing 12 saves while allowing the three goals.
Stanford controlled the match from the start, allowing Utah's first shot in the waning seconds of the first half. The Utes would not manage their final three shots until the last four minutes of play, as Katie Meyer and Ryan Campbell combined to record the shutout.
Meyer and Campbell, who started the second half in goal for the Cardinal, each recorded a save in the victory.
The shutout win is the sixth of the year for Stanford – the most for the Cardinal through nine matches since the 2017 squad also recorded six.
Stanford will return to action on Thursday, September 30 when it hosts Oregon State in Pac-12 play at 6 p.m. from Cagan Stadium.