Boasting a winning record and a four-game win streak heading into its weekend three-spot against conference foes, No. 12 Stanford field hockey (7-2, 4-0 America East) displayed a depth of talent to take all three victories and remain undefeated in the America East Conference. While the Cardinal had scored nine goals in six games to start the season, Stanford offense exploded against UMass Lowell (5-5, 0-1), New Hampshire (3-5, 0-1) and Maine (6-3, 0-1), putting up 11 goals over the three games.
The action began on Thursday against Massachusetts-Lowell as senior attacker Marissa Cicione delivered the first hat trick of her career to lead the Cardinal to a 4-3 victory. Stanford’s four goals came off of 34 shots in the game, the team’s highest total since 2015.
Before the game was ten minutes old, Cicione finished on a pass from junior midfielder Kennedy Schumacher to give the Cardinal an early lead. The Riverhawks answered the goal with two in quick succession, scoring on two of their four shots in the half. Sophomore star Anouk Lalande struck first, taking advantage of a breakaway opportunity to claim her eighth goal of the young season. Three minutes later, freshman Sophie Gehrels put in a rebound for her first career goal.
Stanford was not done, however. In the 30th minute, a penalty corner set up fifth-year senior attacker Kristina Bassi for a tip-in to tie the match at 2-2 into the half.
In the second half, Cicione started the scoring early once again as she delivered on another tip-in goal from a penalty corner. After the Riverhawks tied the game 3-3 off a Stanford defensive breakdown, the Cardinal needed one more goal from Cicione to take the victory. The senior collected a cross from Bassi with less than two minutes remaining to put the game-winning goal in the back of the net.
On Friday, sophomore midfielder Phoebe Crosthwaite made a strong return after a pre-season arm injury and freshman attacker Corinne Zanolli scored twice to help the Cardinal claim a 3-2 double overtime win against New Hampshire.
The Cardinal and the Wildcats traded corners early in the game, with Stanford striking first as freshman defender Sarah Johnson and senior attacker Katie Keyser set up Zanolli for a goal. Although the team out shot UNH 9-2 in the half, the Wildcats kept the game close with a penalty corner goal and stellar goaltending from junior Kelsey Rudert. Stanford was able to claim a one-goal lead heading into halftime, as Bassi finished top shelf off a pass from freshman defender Kaylie Mings in the 30th minute.
New Hampshire took advantage of another penalty corner in the second half, tying the match at two-all in the 44th minute to send the contest into extra time. After a scoreless first overtime period, Crosthwaite and Zanolli connected two minutes into double overtime, with a Crosthwaite cross setting up Zanolli for the clincher, her fifth goal of the season.
After two close matches early in the road trip, the Cardinal wasted no time in a 4-1 victory over Maine on Sunday. Zanolli shined once again, racking up two goals and an assist while senior midfielder Millie Stefanowicz dished out two assists in a dominant performance. Stanford struck twice in the first half, as Bassi redirected a Zanolli pass in the second minute to take the early lead before Zanolli claimed a goal of her own in the 14th minute. The Black Bears would score their only goal of the day as the Cardinal once again had trouble with penalty corner defense in the 15th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Bing made sure that the score would be Stanford’s only break, shutting down the Black Bears in the second half.
The Cardinal doubled their total in the second, with Stefanowicz and Zanolli connecting in the 53rd minute before Johnson put in a penalty corner goal late in the match for her first career goal.
Stanford will hold on to its seven-game win streak for a week, as it will travel to take on Ohio State on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Contact Laura Anderson at lauraand ‘at’ stanford.edu.