Cardinal Drops Pac-12 Opener

LOS ANGELES – Opening Pac-12 play at USC (5-1-1, 1-0-0 Pac-12) on Friday afternoon, No. 19 Stanford (7-2-1, 0-1-0 Pac-12) scored first, but allowed two unanswered goals in a 2-1 setback at the hands of the Trojans.

USC's Nicole Payne managed a brace to sink the Cardinal.

Freshman Lumi Kostmayer got the Cardinal on the board first in the 20th minute when she dispossessed a defender, squared up to the goal and fired a curling shot to the back post for her team-leading eighth goal of the year.

Stanford's advantage held until the 36th minute when Simi Awujo played a perfect pass onto the foot of Payne who one-timed her shot past Ryan Campbell to the far post. The goal, which came on USC's only shot on goal in the first half, was Payne's second of the season and drew the Trojans even.

Catherine Paulson had an opportunity to reclaim the lead for the Cardinal late in the first half, but her 43rd-minute shot rattled off the near post and rolled harmlessly away from goal, leaving the match knotted at a goal apiece headed into the break.

With both teams coming out of the locker rooms energized, Payne netted her second of the match to put USC on top in the 59th minute. After the ball was played into the box, the Cardinal had a chance at clearing it from danger, but Sierra Enge's attempt was driven to the foot of Payne who settled and fired a shot to the upper 90.

Stanford finished the match with a 19-11 advantage in shots, with five of the shots coming in the final 10 minutes as the Cardinal chased the equalizer. Stanford put better than half its shots on goal, managing 10, while forcing USC keeper Anna Smith into nine saves.

Campbell finished the match with two saves while facing four shots on goal.

Stanford will attempt to regroup as it prepares for a Pac-12 road trip to Arizona next week. The Cardinal will visit Arizona on Thursday at 7 p.m. before meeting Arizona State on Sunday at 1 p.m.