University of Washington
Stanford
No. 3 Washington Falls At No. 10 Stanford, 2-0
November 08, 2014 | Men's Soccer
Final Stats
STANFORD, Calif. – No. 3 Washington saw its Pac-12 title hopes take a hit, falling 2-0 to No. 10 Stanford in a big conference match on Friday night in the Bay Area. The Dawgs 10-game unbeaten streak against Stanford came to an end as the up-and-down Pac-12 race took another turn.
Washington came out guns blazing, dominating play for the first 15 minutes. The Huskies sent wave after wave of attackers forward, threatening the Cardinal defense. Mason Robertson nearly got UW on the board in the opening minutes, but his header off a corner kick bounced off the post. Despite the great play, the Dawgs were unable to catch an early goal and the game changed when Stanford scored on its first good opportunity.
The Cardinal sent a long ball into the box where Cardinal striker Zach Batteer was waiting and flicked a header out of the reach of Husky goalkeeper Spencer Richey.
The Cardinal goal changed the flow of the game as things began to even out. Still, Washington had the majority of the chances in the first half with a 10-5 edge in shots and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.
Stanford added to their lead early in the second half, when a Husky clearance was intercepted. Batteer carried the ball towards goal, drawing Richey off his line and then dropped it to an open Jordan Morris for an easy goal.
The goal meant Washington faced a two-goal deficit for the first time all season. The Dawgs have been resilient all year when they have trailed, but faced their greatest challenge yet.
Despite the deficit, the Huskies continued to push numbers forward and create chances, but also leave holes at the other end. Washington had its share of chances in the second half, but it was Richey who stood out, making one incredible save after the next.
The redshirt senior had a season-best 10 saves as he was tested often in the second half. He now has 227 saves during his Husky career, just six away from tying for second in school history.
While Richey kept things close, the Huskies continued to create chances. Cristian Roldan nearly connected on a side volley in front of goal, but it was just behind him. Later, Justin Fiddes exploded up the right wing to send in a cross that James Moberg headed on goal, but the Stanford keeper made a nice reaction save.
The chances were not to be as the Huskies were shutout for the first time all season. The Dawgs will now have a quick turnaround before taking on No. 7 California on Sunday at 1 p.m. also on the Pac-12 Networks. The Golden Bears were also upset on Friday night, falling to Oregon State, 4-3.
The Pac-12 race remains wide open as the Dawgs, Stanford, UCLA and Cal are all alive to win a championship.
