March 21, 2011

Stanford, Calif. - No. 7 Stanford will back in action this week when it travels east for a trio of games, beginning with Cincinnati on Tuesday, March 22, at noon, PST. The Cardinal will then face Louisville on Thursday, March 24 at 2pm and Vanderbilt on Sunday, March 27, at 9am.

The Cardinal has not played since March 6, when it defeated Canisius, 15-7. After the break for finals, Stanford will now spend its spring break on the road and look to keep its early-season momentum rolling. The Cardinal is 6-0 and a program-best No. 7 in the nation.

Stanford boasts the No. 7 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 15.83 goals per game. It is also been strong defensively, allowing just 9.17 goals per game, which ranks 24th nationally.

Cincinnati is off to a 2-4 start, but did win its last game against Detroit, 14-12. Last season, Stanford defeated the Bearcats 19-4 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Cardinal will be looking to improve to 3-0 against the Big East, having already defeated Notre Dame and Syracuse this season. Cincinnati finished last in the Big East last season, but has yet to play a conference game this season.

Thursday, the Cardinal will travel to Louisville, who like Stanford is off to a 6-0 start. The matchup will include two of the seven remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. The Cardinals have yet to play a ranked team, but have crept into the top-20 of the Inside Lacrosse Magazine poll, although they are still unranked by the IWLCA. Stanford is 1-0 all-time against Louisville, winning 14-12 at Cagan Stadium back in 2009.

The Cardinal will conclude the road trip with No. 15 Vanderbilt, who is off to a 5-4 start. Stanford defeated the Commodores 14-9 last season at Cagan Stadium and is 4-3 all-time against Vanderbilt. A win give the Cardinal its third win over a ranked team already this season.

Following the road trip, Stanford will return home for three of its next four, beginning with Brown on March 29.