SAN JOSE, Calif. – The top-ranked Stanford women’s water polo program began its quest for a third consecutive national championship with a pair of wins on the first day of the LouStrong Memorial hosted by San Jose State on Saturday. The Cardinal defeated No. 10 Pacific in the morning, 16-10, before dispatching No. 9 UC Davis later in the afternoon, 11-6.
Freshman Kat Klass scored seven combined goals in the two games in her Stanford debut, Jamie Neushul added five and Dani Jackovich scored four times in the opener against the Tigers. Coming off a season missed due to injury, Julia Hermann played all eight quarters in the cage and made three saves in each game.
The tournament continues tomorrow with contests against CSU Monterey Bay (9:20 a.m.) and No. 8 San Jose State (1:20 p.m.).
No. 1 Stanford 16 – No. 10 Pacific 10
Stanford found itself in an early hole after a Pacific goal just over 30 seconds into the match, but responded with six of its own in the first quarter. Madison Berggren scored her first collegiate goal at 5:14 then fellow freshman Kat Klass did the same at 4:41.
Pacific evened it up, 2-2, on a score from Kyra Christmas with 3:36 on the clock, but that’s the last time the two teams would be level. Stanford closed the period with goals from Gurpreet Sohi (2:45), Dani Jackovich (1:16 and 0:40) and Jamie Neushul (0:14) to lead 6-4 after one.
Jackovich scored twice more in the second (1:43 and 1:10) to notch the seventh hat trick of her career. Goals from Jordan Raney (5:16), Anna Yelizarova (2:55) and Klass (0:36) helped the Cardinal extend its lead to five at the break, 11-6.
Neushul converted her team’s first 6-on-5 goal of the season to open scoring for Stanford in the second half with 4:52 on the clock in the third. Sohi tacked on another three minutes later before Yelizarova rattled the cage with just one second remaining in the period.
Each team scored twice in the fourth to make the final 16-10. It was the first time in 44 games that Stanford has allowed 10 goals. Arizona State was the last team hit double digits against the Cardinal when it scored 10 at the UC Irvine Invitational on Feb. 22, 2014, an 11-10 Stanford victory.
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 10 Pacific
Jan. 16, 2016 • San Jose, Calif.
UOP 4 – 2 – 2 – 2 = 10
STAN 6 – 5 – 3 – 2 = 16
Pacific Goals: Kyra Christmas 4, Viktoria Szmodics 4, Aelish Guinn, Alison Miller
Pacific Saves: Alexis Hollinrake 3, Meghan Nee 3
Stanford Goals: Dani Jackovich 4, Kat Klass 3, Gurpreet Sohi 3, Jamie Neushul 2, Anna Yelizarova 2, Madison Berggren, Jordan Raney
Stanford Saves: Julia Hermann 3
No. 1 Stanford 11 – No. 9 UC Davis 6
Stanford jumped out to a 3-0 lead on UC Davis and never looked back. First-quarter goals from Raney (4:39), Neushul (3:35) and Klass (0:49), gave the Cardinal an edge it wouldn’t relinquish.
Neushul (4:23) and Klass (1:01) fired home tallies in the second, before Stanford again pumped in three each in the third and fourth quarters. Raney (6:43), Yelizarova (5:10) and Katie Dudley (3:55) put their names on the scoresheet in the third. Klass was successful on a penalty with 2:13 left in the fourth and added her fourth of the game with just 42 seconds left.
Neushul’s goal with 1:32 remaining gave the junior her fourth career hat trick.
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 9 UC DavisJan. 16, 2016 • San Jose, Calif.
UCD 0 – 3 – 1 – 2 = 6
STAN 3 – 2 – 3 – 3 = 11
UC Davis Goals: Allyson Hansen 2, Hannah Harvey, Greta Kohlmoos, Sammy Preston, Carla Tocchini
UC Davis Saves: Haley Cameron 5, Olivia Husted
Stanford Goals: Kat Klass 4, Jamie Neushul 3, Jordan Raney 2, Katie Dudley, Anna Yelizarova
Stanford Saves: Julia Hermann 3
