Aug. 10, 2010

Danielson Begins First Season... | ...Assistants, Too

STANFORD, Calif.- Stanford will kick off its 2010 campaign on Aug. 27 against Pacific, but the Cardinal reports to campus for an orientation session and the first day of practice this week.

Stanford will return several key contributors from last year's record-setting squad, but here's a quick glance at three players who are expected to lead the Cardinal this year while also serving as team captains.

Senior midfielder/forward Jaimee Erickson
Erickson's breakthrough junior season suggests she is ready to accept a more prominent role as a senior and contribute on an even greater level. One of six players to start all 22 games in 2009, Erickson was a vital component in Stanford's penalty corner attack and her 14 assists ranked second on the squad and tied for seventh in the nation. But she was able to generate offense on her own as well, scoring eight goals and ranking third on the club with 30 points. In addition to tallying three game-winning goals, 21 of her 32 shots were on target. A two-time NFHCA All-Academic selection, Erickson's production as a junior was more than double her first two years combined in every statistical category.

Senior midfielder/defender Camille Gandhi
A consistent performer for Stanford during her first three years, Camille Gandhi figures to be one of Stanford's top offensive weapons in 2010. A two-time NFHCA All-West Region First Team selection, Gandhi earned 2007 NorPac Rookie of the Year honors before being named the conference's Player of the Year in 2008. Gandhi finished with a career-high seven goals last year, but she enjoyed her most complete season two years ago with team-high marks in assists (10) and shots (54) despite missing the only two games of her career. And for good reason: a dual national citizen, Gandhi was selected to the U.S. Under-21 National Team and scored the game-winning overtime goal in a 2-1 win over Chile in the gold medal match at the Junior Pan American Games in Mexico City.

Senior midfielder Xanthe Travlos
Xanthe Travlos produced her best season to date last year, being named a Longstreth/NFHCA Second Team All-American and becoming the 13th player in school history to earn the sport's highest national honor and first since Justina Williams in 1998. A three-time Longstreth/NFHCA All-West Region pick, Travlos started all 22 games for Stanford in 2009 while leading the club in goals (17), points (38), shots (70) and shots on goal (52). Tabbed the 2009 NorPac Player of the Year, Travlos' 17 goals last year were the most for any Cardinal player since Sara Hallock found the cage 25 times in 1993. She notched two hat tricks in 2009, bringing her career total to three. In 60 career games, Travlos has totaled 32 goals, 13 assists, 77 points and 181 shot attempts.

Stanford (17-5, 5-1 NorPac) is coming off its best season in program history in 2009, establishing a school record with 17 victories. The Cardinal captured the NorPac Tournament championship for the third straight season and remained a fixture in the national rankings for more than two months. Stanford won its second NCAA Play-In game in three seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in school history. Stanford's record-setting season was due in large part to its high-powered offense, as the Cardinal established single-season school records in goals (87), assists (60), points (234) and shots (410).