STANFORD — Giving up the tying goal with three minutes left in the second half of an NCAA quarterfinal may have deflated some teams. But it seemed only to inspire the second-seeded Stanford women’s soccer team.
The Cardinal scored four minutes into overtime to beat No. 5 Nebraska 2-1 on Friday at Cagan Stadium and advance to their first College Cup since 2019.
“I was proud of the character because to concede with three minutes left before you go to the College Cup, that’s kind of devastating,” Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “They dealt with it well and they kept fighting and they got a great goal to win the game.”
Nebraska (17-4-3) ended Stanford’s streak of 470 minutes without allowing a goal when it tied the game with 3:01 remaining in regulation. Goalkeeper Ryan Campbell came out to contest a long pass into the box, but Cornhuskers forward Sarah Weber got to the ball first and headed it into the net.
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“Obviously wasn’t the most ideal situation, but we knew that we had the resilience, we had the fight, we had the grit to keep going,” defender Kennedy Wesley said. “That definitely wasn’t going to define our season. We weren’t going to let it end that way.”
Stanford’s Maya Doms (10) followed by Stanford’s Jasmine Aikey (12) celebrates the winning goal against Nebraska in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer match at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
It was only the 10th goal Stanford (19-0-4) had allowed all season, but the Cardinal needed just seven minutes of game time to respond. Allie Montoyo’s near-post cross was backheeled by Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year Jasmine Aikey into the path of Maya Doms, who tapped the ball into the open net with 5:49 remaining in the first overtime.
It was the fourth goal in the last six matches for Doms, a fifth-year midfielder from Davis.
“I thought we dominated the whole game and it was unfortunate to get scored on in the last five minutes,” Doms said. “But we knew we weren’t going to end our season on our home field.”
The Cardinal are unbeaten in 29 straight home games and haven’t lost in 35 matches overall.
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Stanford will now face No. 1 BYU n the College Cup next Friday in Cary, N.C. BYU defeated No. 3 North Carolina 4-3 late Friday night.
The quarterfinal provided an intriguing matchup between Stanford, which has allowed 0.42 goals a game, and Nebraska, which scored 11 times in the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Cardinal contained Eleanor Dale, who leads the country in goals (28) and shots per game (6.0) but was held to three shots Friday by a defense that focused on denying her the ball.
Stanford got the early lead on an own goal in the 11th minute. Montoya’s cross was headed back across the Nebraska box by Andrea Kithata. Joelle Jung, a freshman from Lynbrook High in San Jose, poked the ball toward the goal, and it was kicked in by a Cornhuskers defender.
Despite playing with the lead, Stanford controlled play and allowed only one shot on goal until Nebraska’s equalizer.
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“Everyone’s playing like it’s their last game, so things like that are bound to happen, but we’re lucky enough that we have the personnel to know how to respond,” Wesley said.
After missing the College Cup for the last three seasons, Stanford is now back for the first time since it won its third national championship.
“At Stanford, we’re the home of champions,” said Wesley, a freshman in 2019. “We pride ourselves in making those championship games, and to not have done that the past few years, it’s definitely been short of our expectations. But we knew we could get back to the Stanford Way, and we’re super blessed and honored that we get to do it again.”
Stanford’s Joelle Jung (21) celebrates her goal against the Nebraska in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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Stanford’s Allie Montoya (3) shots over Nebraska’s Gwen Lane (23) in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Nebraska goalkeeper Sami Hauk (91) makes a save against Stanford’s Maryn Wolf (24) in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Allie Montoya (3) dribbles against the Nebraska’s Ella Guyott (5) on her attempt to score against Nebraska goalkeeper Sami Hauk (91) in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Allie Montoya (3) dribbles against the Nebraska’s Ella Guyott (5) on her attempt to score against Nebraska goalkeeper Sami Hauk (91) in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Nebraska’s Sadie Waite (11) and Stanford’s Maya Doms (10) fight for the ball in the first half of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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Nebraska’s Jordan Zade (37) makes a flip throw-in against Stanford in the first haft of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Maya Doms (10) fights for the ball against Nebraska’s Haley Peterson (2) in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Maya Doms (10) gains control of the ball against Nebraska’s Haley Peterson (2) in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Maya Doms (10) dribbles past Nebraska’s Lauryn Anglim (21) in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Allie Montoya (3) passes the ball against Nebraska’s Nicola Hauk (4) in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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Stanford’s Avani Brandt (18) dribbles past the Stanford coaching staff against the Nebraska in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The moon rises in the horizon as Stanford host Nebraska in a Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Maya Doms, center, is congratulated by teammates after scoring the winning goal against Nebraska in the first half of overtime of the Women’s College Cup Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The Stanford women soccer players high-five family members and fans after their 2-1 win against Nebraska in the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer match at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford’s Maya Doms, center, holds the NCAA trophy as she celebrates with teammates the Women’s College Cup quarterfinal soccer game against Nebraska at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. The Cardinals won 2-1. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
