STANFORD, Calif. — Lucy Pearson’s 11-save outing provided a bright spot on the afternoon but an early first quarter deficit proved too much to overcome as the No. 5 Stanford lacrosse team suffered its second loss of the season, falling to No. 1 Boston College at Cagan Stadium, 17-9.
In the loss, the Cardinal saw its 20-game win streak at Cagan snapped after not dropping a game since the 2023 season opener. Stanford had its largest crowd this season watching the historic match as 1,177 fans entered Cagan Stadium on the day which was the largest crowd since 1,277 people watched No. 6 Stanford take on No. 1 Northwestern on Feb. 10, 2012 in what was an 18-6 victory for the Wildcats.
Boston College started out as the aggressor during the first quarter, scoring the game-opening goal just one minute into the frame to snatch an early lead. The Eagles then rattled off five-straight just past the ten-minute mark to take a 6-0 lead with a little over seven minutes to go as the Cardinal fought hard to limit the damage.
Looking to claw into the deficit, Martha Oakey and Elise Murphy opened their accounts for the day, slotting home their ninth and 11th goals of the season, respectively, to give Stanford life near the end of the quarter. BC, however, grabbed the final goal of the quarter to take a 7-2 lead after 15 minutes of action.
Though BC grabbed the first goal of the second frame with an early tally, Stanford secured three of the next four goals to cut the lead to four. Lindsey Devir slotted home her 18th of the year before Lexi Rodell and Aliya Polisky tallied for the Cardinal to decrease the Eagle advantage. Stanford, however, had not ventured out of the woods yet as Pearson was called into action to make eight stops in the first half while the Eagles tacked on two more to grab an 11-5 lead into the break.
Following a scoreless third quarter for the Cardinal - which saw Boston College extend its lead to 11 goals - Stanford did well to finish the fight to the end, securing four of the game’s final five goals. Ava Arceri grabbed a brace in succession while Murphy and Polisky tallied within a five minute span as the Cardinal eventually fell, 17-9.
Offensively, Polisky led the Cardinal with three points on the day while Arceri, Murphy, and Polisky all snagged two goals during the contest. Defensively, Pearson’s 11 stops marks her fourth game with double-digit saves this season - all of which coming in the last six games. Elsewhere, Pearson led the way with seven ground balls for the Cardinal while Ellie Johnson and Sophia Brindisi each recorded a caused turnover.
Stanford is back in action this weekend, heading back on the road to take on Army and Louisville. Opening draw against the Black Knights on Wednesday, March 26 is slated for 1 p.m. PT while Saturday’s contest against the Cardinals is scheduled for 9 a.m. PT.