Guden’s Goal Gives Card Shootout Win

STANFORD, Calif. – Caroline Guden scored the game-winning goal in a shootout, and Stanford field hockey topped visiting Michigan State, 1-0, on Sunday at the Varsity Turf. The Cardinal improves to 2-2 this season while dealing the Spartans their first loss, winning the shootout, 5-4.

"I was pretty nervous, but I knew the move I was going to do and I was confident in that. I knew I had to put it away, and I did," said Guden. "I think it was a really good team effort, we battled throughout the whole game. It's great to get the win."

The contest was Stanford's third home bout in a row to go to overtime, with the Cardinal playing four overtimes over those three meetings. Stanford held Michigan State scoreless over the 80 minutes, with goalkeepers Daisy Ford and Kendall Dowd combining for the shutout. Ford made one save and was in the cage for the shootout, while Dowd made four saves in her first-career appearance.

"I was super impressed with our work rate today, it was a great performance all around. Michigan State had been really hitting their stride - one of their strengths is their counter attack, which we talked a lot about," said head coach Roz Ellis. "I'm really proud of our team with how we worked to squeeze the play in transition. I also can't say enough about our defensive penalty corner unit. They had their chances, and we held strong and worked hard to keep the ball out of the back of the cage."

Stanford outshot the Spartans by a 17-16 margin, and successfully defended seven penalty corners. Fenella Scutt, Haley Mossmer and Chantal Eiwanger led the Cardinal with three shots apiece, while 10 different players registered an attempt in the contest.

Three defensive periods ended with no score, while Stanford tallied five shots over the two overtime periods. Unable to find a score, the game went to penalty strokes.

Cara Sambeth, Megan Frost and Guden each made their opening attempts, with the shootout tied at 3-3 following the five-player rotation. Sambeth stepped up and scored for a second time, while Guden, in the eighth shot of the event, sealed the win following a miss from Michigan State to open the sudden death frame.

"Caroline had a brilliant first goal in taking the goalkeeper at speed, and that's something that's one of her super powers," continued Ellis. "She can turn the flames on, and that's why I put her where she was. I had complete trust in her, that she would take the goalkeeper deep and finish with poise."

Stanford continues at home on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. against No. 2 North Carolina. The game will air on Pac-12 Network.