PORTLAND, Ore. -- No. 6 Stanford opened its season with its first-ever victory over North Carolina (ranked No. 4), followed by another shutout victory two days later, over No. 18 Duke. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Stanford, which faces its third consecutive ranked opponent on the road to open the season, No. 11 Portland on Saturday.
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The following is a closer look at Saturday’s match:
Who: No.6 Stanford (2-0) vs. No. 11 Portland (1-1)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Merlo Field, Portland, Ore.
All-Time Series Record: Stanford leads, 7-3-1
Webcast: Click here
Live Stats: Click here
Twitter: @StanfordWSoccer
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Friday’s Opponent, Portland: The Pilots return seven starters from a team that went 17-3-1 last season, tied for first in the West Coast Conference, and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. Danica Evans is the team’s top returning scorer, with five goals and seven assists. Portland opened with a 1-0 loss at No. 2 Florida State on Friday and then toppled host North Carolina State, 2-1, on a pair of second-half goals by Evans.
The Stanford-Portland Series: Stanford leads the series, 7-3-1, with the teams meeting five times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2008 when Stanford earned a 1-0 quarterfinal home victory on a Christen Press goal in the 86th minute. In NCAA tournament play, Stanford holds a 3-1-1 series lead. The teams met on Aug. 31 last season with Haley Rosen scoring during a scramble in front of the net in the 67th minute to allow No. 2 Stanford to draw even in a 1-1 double-overtime home-opening tie against the No. 16 Pilots. The match marked the first collegiate action for Stanford goalkeeper Jane Campbell, coming on for Emily Oliver, who suffered a career-ending concussion in the second half. Portland is 2-1 all-time at home against Stanford, though the Cardinal won the most recent meeting, in 2011 by a 2-0 score.
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Weekly Honors: Two Stanford players earned national player of the week honors after the Cardinal had two shutout victories on the road against ranked teams. Sophomore Jane Campbell, who made nine saves in a 1-0 overtime victory at No. 4 North Carolina, received the honor from CollegeSoccer360.com and was CollegeSportsMadness.com's defensive player of the week. She also earned Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors, after her second shutout, 2-0 against No. 18 Duke. Sophomore middle back Maddie Bauer earned national player of the week honors from TopDrawerSoccer.com.
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Week in Review: Stanford opened its season with a pair of matches at the Carolina Nike Classic at North Carolina. On Friday, the Cardinal beat the Tar Heels, 1-0, on a goal at 99:00 by Chioma Ubogagu, giving Stanford its first victory over North Carolina in 13 meetings. A free kick from just inside the midfield stripe by Maddie Bauer found its way to Alex Doll, who pushed it wide to Ubogagu. She spun away from a defender and beat three players toward the end line before hitting a low shot from a poor angle that snuck inside the near post. Against Duke on Sunday, second-half goals by Lo'eau LaBonta, on a header off a pass from Hannah Farr, and Haley Rosen, who shot into an open net after Ubogagu had beaten the defense.