[Viking_Guy]

Stanford kept us on tenterhooks throughout, but finally broke through thanks to some dogged work by Catarina in tiring out the FSU defense, but more directly due to a marvelous run by Tierna Davidson.

Davidson, who anchored the backline for Stanford, had several nice forays forward over the course of the match.  She's help by Andi Sullivan being willing to drop back and cover for her, and with about 12 minutes left, against a tired Seminole side, she ran from the top of her own box and just kept going.  Straight up the left side of the center of the pitch, with no defender willing to give up the professional foul and even at points unable to get across to her, taking bad angles.  I'd say she ran by 4 players, got into the area, then squared the ball to Jordan DiBiasi, who, like Kyra Carusa, has a tendency to be in the right place at the right time. After Stanford struggled to score all game, she hammered the ball into the lower right corner.

And it was the Davidson and Cook-led backline, even minus Xiao, who kept it there.  A high-powered offense like Florida State's, with a player who was up for a worldwide award while still playing for her country's junior side in Castellanos, against the defense of Stanford's mids and backfield, got ONE shot on goal in the game.  They had a few more chances, mostly on scramble plays as a set piece was lofted into the scrum in the box, but nothing that really tested Jahanzous - the one shot was with about 45 seconds left and was a outside of the foot prayer of a volley that basically made it an easy catch for the keeper.

Players of the game?  Davidson, but also Macario, who had some great shots, hitting a post and forcing some great saves from FSU's keeper Miller, who also had a wonderful game.

And thank god for a fair result - Stanford outshot them 22-4, on goal 8-1, 10 corners to 2, hit the post and the crossbar.  That would have been a gutpunch of a game to lose.

WSU eventually fell to Florida in 2OT, but at least not PKs, 1-0.  Penn State leading West Virginia, with the winner to play at Cagan next week, 2-1 10 minutes into the second half.  UCLA-Virginia (winner hosts Princeton) and Baylor/Texas (winner goes to Duke) later this evening.

Well done, Card.  Survive and advance.  And look for some payback against the Nittanys, if they make it through.

EDIT: 3-1 Penn State final.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Stanford kept us on tenterhooks throughout, but finally broke through thanks to some dogged work by Catarina in tiring out the FSU defense, but more directly due to a marvelous run by Tierna Davidson.

Davidson, who anchored the backline for Stanford, had several nice forays forward over the course of the match.  She's help by Andi Sullivan being willing to drop back and cover for her, and with about 12 minutes left, against a tired Seminole side, she ran from the top of her own box and just kept going.  Straight up the left side of the center of the pitch, with no defender willing to give up the professional foul and even at points unable to get across to her, taking bad angles.  I'd say she ran by 4 players, got into the area, then squared the ball to Jordan DiBiasi, who, like Kyra Carusa, has a tendency to be in the right place at the right time. After Stanford struggled to score all game, she hammered the ball into the lower right corner.

And it was the Davidson and Cook-led backline, even minus Xiao, who kept it there.  A high-powered offense like Florida State's, with a player who was up for a worldwide award while still playing for her country's junior side in Castellanos, against the defense of Stanford's mids and backfield, got ONE shot on goal in the game.  They had a few more chances, mostly on scramble plays as a set piece was lofted into the scrum in the box, but nothing that really tested Jahanzous - the one shot was with about 45 seconds left and was a outside of the foot prayer of a volley that basically made it an easy catch for the keeper.

Players of the game?  Davidson, but also Macario, who had some great shots, hitting a post and forcing some great saves from FSU's keeper Miller, who also had a wonderful game.

And thank god for a fair result - Stanford outshot them 22-4, on goal 8-1, 10 corners to 2, hit the post and the crossbar.  That would have been a gutpunch of a game to lose.

WSU eventually fell to Florida in 2OT, but at least not PKs, 1-0.  Penn State leading West Virginia, with the winner to play at Cagan next week, 2-1 10 minutes into the second half.  UCLA-Virginia (winner hosts Princeton) and Baylor/Texas (winner goes to Duke) later this evening.

Well done, Card.  Survive and advance.  And look for some payback against the Nittanys, if they make it through.

EDIT: 3-1 Penn State final.

VG