Sept. 20, 2012

Student-Athlete Profile: Henriksson

STANFORD, Calif.- Fresh off a 13-day layoff, No. 11 Stanford returns to action this weekend with back-to-back matches in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Up first is a rare regular-season contest against a member of the NorPac's East Division, as Stanford (5-3, 0-0 NorPac) squares off against Radford (0-6, 0-0 NorPac) in a neutral-site tilt on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. PT.

What follows is a much tougher test, with the Cardinal facing No. 1 North Carolina (7-1, 0-0 ACC) on Sunday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. PT (ESPN3). The six-time NCAA champion Tar Heels have occupied the top spot of the national poll for the last three weeks.

Competing against the nation's top-ranked team should not be an issue for Stanford, which nearly upset then-No. 1 Maryland last month at the Varsity Turf. The Terrapins notched a 3-2 double-overtime victory after scoring the game-winner with 24 seconds remaining to avoid a shootout.

What will affect Stanford's gameplan is the loss of starters Kelsey Harbin and Maddie Secco. But it's for good reason. Harbin and Secco are currently representing their respective countries at the Junior Pan American Championships, which conclude Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico. Harbin is a member of the USA team while Secco plays for Canada.

That being said, head coach Tara Danielson has repeatedly said the loss of Harbin and Secco offers a chance for other players to step up and contribute. It's worked so far, as Stanford defeated No. 18 Drexel 2-1 back on Sept. 9 with both starters out of the lineup.

Stanford, which has won four in a row after suffering its first three-game losing streak since 2008, has posted a 2-2 record against the top-25 this year. As a result, the Cardinal has risen to No. 12 in the latest edition of the RPI. Additional opportunities remain, with top-10 opponents Syracuse and Connecticut lined up in October.

The Cardinal will have completed half of its regular season schedule after this weekend, leading into Monday's start of classes. Katie Mitchell and Courtney Haldeman share the team lead in goals (4) and points (9), Becky Dru is pacing the squad in assists (4) and shots (19) while Dulcie Davies (32 saves, two shutouts, 1.55 GAA) has been solid in goal so far in her rookie season.