STANFORD, Calif. – Hosting ACC-foe No. 13 Notre Dame on Friday in the NCAA quarterfinal round, No. 14 Stanford (16-4-2) defeated the Fighting Irish (14-4-4) 2-0 from Cagan Stadium to punch its ticket to a second consecutive College Cup.
The Cardinal will meet No. 3 Wake Forest on Friday, December 6 in a national semifinal. The other semifinal will feature No. 8 North Carolina and either No. 1 Duke or No. 12 Virginia Tech – ensuring that every Final Four team plays in the ACC.
Stanford managed to avenge an earlier 3-0 loss at the hands of Notre Dame on October 20 in South Bend, Ind.
The Fighting Irish nearly got on the board first in the 16th minute as Izzy Engle juggled a ball in the box and fired a left-footed shot on frame toward the back corner of the net. Junior Elise Evans was positioned perfectly, clearing the ball off the line to keep the match scoreless.
Stanford managed the break the stalemate in the 25th minute as Andrea Kitahata worked off the wing and cut a ball back toward goal, sending her cross into the box where it found the head of Shae Harvey. Harvey flicked her shot on, finding the goal for the game-winner and her fifth goal of the year.
Leading 1-0 after halftime, Stanford added an insurance goal in the 50th minute as it cashed in on its lone corner kick opportunity of the day. Mia Bhuta sent an inswinging ball toward the near post where Kitahata rose and headed it home for her team-best ninth tally of the year.
For Kitahata, Friday marked the fourth time in her career that she has posted a goal and an assist in a match – including the second time this season after scoring one and assisting on one against California on October 31.
Senior goalkeeper Haley Craig pitched the shutout on Friday, making four saves as the Irish held a 17-13 advantage in shots. For Craig, the shutout was her 11th of the season. That mark currently places tied for eighth in Stanford’s single-season record books. The clean sheet was also her second of the postseason after Stanford blanked UCSB 5-0 to open the NCAA run on November 15.
GAME NOTES:
• The Cardinal is making its 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 26th in the last 27 seasons … has compiled a 73-24-9 record in NCAA Tournament play … will be making its 12th appearance in the College Cup, including its second in as many seasons after finishing as the national runner-up a year ago … has won three national titles (2011, 2017, 2019) and has finished as the national…
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