Soccer Drops 4-0 Decision To No. 3 Stanford

Friday, September 18

Stanford, Calif.

8 p.m.

Colorado

4-4-0

Stanford

8-0-0

Colorado

Stanford

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

September 18, 2009 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Aaron Lopez, Denver Nuggets

STANFORD, Calif. - The University of Colorado women's soccer team was shut out for the first time this season as No. 3 Stanford captured a 4-0 win over the Buffaloes in the first game of the Stanford/NIKE Classic here Friday.

Stanford (8-0) remains undefeated with the win, while the Buffaloes fall to 4-4 overall, with a 1-0 record in Big 12 Play.

"They're a very, very good team," said head coach Bill Hempen. "We fought them hard, but we just never really got any offensive rhythm going that put them under any stress. We may have played one of our better games from the effort standpoint, but when you're up against a team that's loaded with national team players and regional performers, it was hard to keep up."

Colorado managed to hold off the Cardinal offense, one that has averaged 29.5 shots a game this season, not giving up a shot until 17 minutes into the game.

Stanford's first scoring opportunity came in the 18th minute when Christen Press took a hard shot from about 45-yards out, but Colorado goalkeeper Kara Linder left her feet and punched the ball over the crossbar and out of bounds.

The Cardinal would take the 1-0 lead on an Ali Riley goal after she carried the ball down the left side of the goal box and chipped a shot over a diving Linder and into the back of the net.

Freshman Erin Bricker recorded the Buffs' first shot on goal with just over 10 minutes left to play in the half. Bricker, who was challenged by a pair of Cardinal defenders, cut the ball back to get open and fired a hard shot towards the goal, but Stanford keeper Kira Maker came up with the save.

The Cardinal outshot the Buffaloes 10 to three in the first half, with both teams recording two shots on goal.

Typically known this season for being a second half team, Stanford showed no signs of giving the Colorado defense a break in the final period. The Cardinal would take the 2-0 lead when Kelly O'Hara battled to get around the CU defense and nearly made a 180-turn to get a shot off towards the right post and into the goal.

Despite the 2-0 deficit, Linder still continued to make a handful of tough saves, including a huge save on a potential header towards the goal in the 64th minute.

"Kara was fantastic tonight," added Hempen. "That was the goalkeeper that I've been waiting to see emerge all fall. When you look at the scoreboard it doesn't show, but she was good in every aspect of the game tonight. I think maybe the pieces are starting to fall into place with her and hopefully for us as well."

Stanford finished out the game with two goals in a three-minute span from Morgan Redmond, giving the Cardinal the eventual 4-0 victory over the Buffaloes.

Colorado was out-shot 24 to nine in the game and the Cardinal totaled nine corner kicks to CU's one. The match proved to be a physical one on the home-team's side, as Stanford committed 15 fouls in the game, compared to the Buffs' five.

Colorado returns to the pitch on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Noon for a match-up that surely won't be any easier than tonight's as they take on No. 12 Santa Clara in the final day of the Stanford/NIKE Classic.

"We're certainly going to have to give the same kind of effort against Santa Clara on Sunday," said Hempen. "They had to fight a little for their win today, but we certainly fought all the way to the end here, so I'm hoping that we have the energy to compete like this again on Sunday."