At a two-game event in Iowa City this past weekend, No. 21 Stanford (8-4, 1-0 America East) beat No. 6 Michigan (9-5, 5-1 Big Ten) in a 4-2 upset, securing their eighth consecutive win, but the team lost 3-0 to No. 10 Iowa (11-3, 3-2 Big Ten) the following day. The Cardinal had palpable momentum when they came off of their longest winning streak since securing 12 consecutive games in 2014, but the Hawkeyes’ petrifying pressure proved too much. Regardless, the team has reason to celebrate for securing a balanced 1-1 record against two top-10 opponents.
Before the Michigan game, the fate of Stanford’s continued success hung in the balance. Michigan had secured each of the past three games against the Cardinal. To make matters worse, the Wolverines proved triumphant over Iowa in a close 2-1 bout only a day before the Stanford-Michigan match. Wolverines junior midfielder and attacker Meg Dowthwaite and freshman midfielder Kathryn Peterson both slotted goals against the Hawkeyes at that Friday game, claiming their eighth victory in the past nine games. Leading up to Saturday, both the Cardinal and Wolverines — top teams in their conferences — geared up for a clash of titans. Stanford sought redemption for past injustice while Michigan aimed to maintain a top spot in a battle that can only be described as the crossroads of destiny.
Stanford and Michigan were evenly matched in the first half until junior defender Nina Randolph broke through enemy lines and put one in the net for the Cardinal. There was no time for celebration though; only two minutes after Randolph gained her third goal of the season, the Wolverines responded with a goal from freshman midfielder Sofia Southam. The rest of the half was filled with chances for Michigan, all subdued by the vigilance of junior goalkeeper Kelsey Bing. Her heroic six first-half saves preserved the Stanford position leading into a successful second half. The goals just started pouring in for the Cardinal: a transition by junior midfielder Phoebe Crosthwaite, a redirection by sophomore attacker Corinne Zanolli and a final fourth from senior attacker Emma Christus. This game saw especially stellar performances from Bing and Zanolli, the reigning America East defensive and offensive Players of the Week, respectively. The Wolverines finally responded in the final moments of the game with their second goal, but by then it was too late: the Cardinal claimed both vengeance and glory in one spectacle of an upset.
After the win over Michigan on Saturday, it seemed that there was nothing this team could not do. Come Sunday, the Cardinal were well equipped to tackle the Iowa Hawkeyes on one rainy afternoon at Grant Field. Past precedent also supported a Cardinal win: Stanford beat the Hawkeyes 3-2 in their final match last year. But past precedent doesn’t necessarily secure victories, as we saw in the Michigan match. The Hawkeyes applied overwhelming pressure from the start of the game, resulting in a goal for Iowa’s sophomore attacker Maddy Murphy in the 15th minute and another one for sophomore midfielder and attacker Mya Christopher in the 28th minute. On the Cardinal side, Bing still persevered throughout the entire game with a solid four saves, but Stanford’s fate was sealed by the time Iowa’s junior midfielder Sophie Sunderland redirected a shot from teammate Anthe Nijziel in the last five minutes of the match.
All good things must come to an end. Iowa rejoiced and the Cardinal streak was shattered, but this weekend event should not be treated as a loss for the ever-improving and already legendary Stanford squad. If anything, the 1-1 result over the weekend proves that the Cardinal can hold their ground superbly well against two top-10 teams.
Next, the Cardinal will travel to Berkeley to face off against arch-nemesis Cal (3-8, 0-1 America East) in a battle for the Bay. Watch the game through the Pac-12 network this Friday at 4 p.m.
Contact Arman Kassam at armank ‘at’ stanford.edu