Feb. 2, 2013

2013 Stanford Invitational Central

STANFORD, Calif. - Top-ranked Stanford women's water polo will enter Sunday morning one game away from the Stanford Invitational Championship Game after claiming a 15-4 victory over No. 8 San Jose State Saturday at Avery Aquatic Center.

The Cardinal (6-0) will face UC Davis at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Beating the Aggies would put Stanford into the title game for a shot its fourth straight crown at its home tournament.

Stanford also defeated The Olympic Club in exhibition action Saturday morning, claiming a 9-5 decision over the squad that included former Stanford standouts four-time Olympian Brenda Villa '03 and Monica Coughlan '12.

Two-meter Melissa Seidemann and freshman driver Anna Yelizarova scored five goals apiece in the win over the Spartans, while Kiley Neushul posted a hat trick and Kaley Dodson and Maggie Steffens each added a goal.

Senior goalie Kate Baldoni got the start and went the distance, stopping six shots.

The Cardinal attacked early and often, scoring five goals in each of the first two periods. Seidemann's goal just 1:33 into the contest began a quick 3-0 run in which she, Neushul and Steffens scored within a span of 1:23. Yelizarova tacked on a pair of goals minutes later to make it 5-0 with 1:44 to go in the frame.

Timi Molnar got one back for the Spartans with a second to go in the period, but Stanford opened the next period brightly as Sohi scored after just 24 seconds. Neushul followed with her second at 5:50 and Seidemann added a goal 56 seconds after that. San Jose State's Alisa Argend scored with 3:55 to go in the half but the Cardinal cut off the momentum as Sohi found the back of the cage twice more before the break.

Stanford would go on to outscore San Jose State 5-2 over the final 16 minutes to claim its sixth straight win to open the season.

In the morning exhibition, Dodson, Yelizarova and freshman Gurpreet Sohi each scored twice with Neushul, Seidemann and Kaitlyn Lo adding goals.

Goalies Emily Dorst and Gabby Stone split the contest, with Dorst making a pair of saves and Stone stopping six shots.

The Cardinal got out to a lightning-quick start, scoring six first-period goals to take control of the contest. Stanford would tack on a goal in each successive period while Dorst and Stone anchored the defense which held the Olympic Club to just five scores.

San Jose State - 1 1 1 1 = 4
Stanford - 5 5 1 4 = 15

Stanford Goal Scorers: Seidemann 5, Yelizarova 5, Neushul 3, K. Dodson, Steffens
San Jose State Goal Scorers: Argend 2, Lekness, Molnar
Goalie Saves: Baldoni 6 (S); Reardon 2, Merritt 1 (SJSU)

Olympic Club - 1 1 1 2 = 5
Stanford - 6 1 1 1 = 9

Stanford Goal Scorers: K. Dodson 2, Sohi 2, Yelizarova 2, Lo, Neushul, Seidemann
Olympic Club Goal Scorers: Hughes 2, Conte, Lorenz, Villa
Goalie Saves: Dorst 2, Stone 6 (S); O'Connor 2 (OC)