STANFORD, Calif. - A first-half goal by Maddie Secco and a strong defensive effort propelled Stanford to a 1-0 victory against Indiana on Friday afternoon at the Varsity Turf.
Secco continued her strong offensive start with her third goal in as many games for the Cardinal (2-1). It was Indiana (1-2), though, who grabbed the upper hand early.
“We were a little impatient at the back and disjointed through the midfield,” said sixth-year head coach Tara Danielson. “The good part is we have a team that is going to fight even when they don’t have the momentum.”
Stanford did just that, with Secco scoring shortly after a series of crucial stops from Dulcie Davies. Davies had four saves in the game to earn her first shutout of the season.
“I was really happy with the performance. They weren’t clicking but they stuck it out,” said Danielson, whose Cardinal grew stronger in defense as the game wore on. “The second half you could see our set pieces were starting to work, but the challenge for this team is to be more consistent.”
Danielson was also pleased with Secco, who leads the Cardinal in goals (3), points (6), and shots (7).
“Maddie executes her role well. She has a lot of experience and you can see when she gets inside the 20 that she is going to make something happen.”
Secco led Stanford with four shots, Fran Tew had three, and Clemence Couteau two. The Cardinal outshot Indiana 12-10 and held a 5-3 advantage in penalty corners.
The Cardinal plays again Sunday at Noon (PT) against Miami (Ohio). The Cardinal last faced Miami (Ohio) in 2012 during the NCAA play-in game, which Stanford won 4-1.
Game Notes:
-Maddie Secco has scored in each of Stanford’s three games this year.
-Dulcie Davies made all of her saves in the first half.
-Stanford held an advantage in shots and penalty corners for the first time this season.
-The Cardinal was spared from overtime for the first time this season after both games last weekend went past regulation.
