KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-ranked Stanford entered Friday’s NCAA College Cup semifinal match having scored 21 goals in its previous four NCAA Tournament matches. It needed just one to get past No. 11 Duke 1-0 on Friday night from CPKC Stadium to advance to its seventh national title match.
The Cardinal (21-1-2), which outshot Duke (17-5-1) 23-11 in the victory, will advance to play No. 6 Florida State on Monday at 4 p.m. PT for the national championship.
Senior Jasmine Aikey, who was named TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year on Thursday, provided the difference in the victory for Stanford, lining up a free kick in the 10th minute and bending her shot to the near post for her 21st goal of the year.
The Cardinal had several opportunities to extend the lead, but ultimately settled for the one goal and held on victory.
Carrying the slim 1-0 lead out of halftime, sophomore Charlotte Kohler had a golden opportunity to add insurance in the 48th minute, running onto a loose ball and dribbling one-on-one with Caroline Dysart in goal for Duke. Dysart came charging off her line and made a split-second save on Kohler’s right-footed shot.
The Cardinal had another great chance in the 61st minute after winning a corner kick. The ball was sent in by freshman Y-Lan Nguyen and Stanford put a flurry of shots on frame, but could not crack the goal line as Duke’s back line continually guarded the net – ultimately finishing the match with four team saves to accompany three saves from Dysart.
The Cardinal had one final quality chance in the 74th minute when Kohler once again laced a shot on frame, but this time it rattled the woodwork and caromed out toward the sideline.
Duke managed just two shots on frame in the match, with Stanford goalkeeper Caroline Birkel recording a pair of saves – including a crucial stop in the 20th minute on a point-blank chance from Duke’s Devin Lynch. The clean sheet was Birkel’s third of the season, including her second in the postseason. The Cardinal has now posted nine shutouts this season.
Stanford and Florida State will meet in the national championship match for the second time in three years after the Seminoles defeated the Cardinal 5-1 in 2023.
GAME NOTES:
- Friday's semifinal match marked the third time Stanford and Duke have met in the NCAA Tournament, including the second time in the College Cup ... the Cardinal defeated Duke by a score of 1-0 in the 2011 national championship match to capture its first NCAA women's soccer crown ... the two teams also met in a quarterfinal match on November 27, 2015 in Stanford - with Duke advancing in penalty kicks (3-2) following a 1-1 draw ... Stanford is outscoring Duke 20-13 in the all-time series
- The Cardinal is making its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 27th in the last 28 seasons … the Cardinal has compiled a 78-25-9 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play … Stanford has reached the second round in 27 of the 34 appearances, has earned a berth in the NCAA third round in 16 of the past 20 seasons, has reached the NCAA quarterfinal round in three consecutive years and 13 times since 2008, and has advanced to the College Cup in three straight seasons and 12 times in the last 18 campaigns
- Stanford has won two of the last eight College Cups - most recently capturing the title in 2019 ... is making its 13th appearance in the College Cup, including its third in as many years ... Monday will mark Stanford’s seventh appearance in the College Cup Final ... is 3-3 in national championship matches … 12 of Stanford’s 13 College Cup appearances have come since 2008
- Stanford’s 96 combined goals over the 24 matches are the second-most through 24 matches in program history (102 in the first 24 of the 2019 season) ... goal mark is also the second-most in Stanford history for a single season (102 in 2019) … the Cardinal needs four more goals to become the fourth team with 100 scored in a single season since the turn of the century (19th team in NCAA history)
- Stanford is averaging a national-best 23 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 16 of the 24 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (4.00 goals per game)
- The Cardinal is 67-7-10 over its last 84 matches and is unbeaten in its last 17 matches (15-0-2)
- Stanford has conceded just 23 goals so far this season, has posted nine shutouts, and has managed a clean sheet in 41 of its last 80 contests overall … is outscoring its opposition 64-16 over the last 16 matches
- Jasmine Aikey has scored in four straight matches, including a pair of braces ... also scored in three straight from August 24 to September 4 and four straight from September 25 to October 12 ... has contributed at least a point in 20 of the 24 matches this season, has scored in 11 of her last 15, and has a goal in 16 of the 24 contests this season ... has scored in seven of her last eight matches and has 10 goals over that span ... leads the team in total points with 53 (team-high 21 goals and 11 assists) and has contributed seven game-winners ... 21 goals, one shy of the national leaders, rank tied for fourth in a single season in program history, while her 53 points are the most in the nation this year and are fifth in Stanford history … has contributed 43 career goals to rank ninth in Stanford history, while her 115 points rank 10th ... owns 12 postseason goals to rank third in Stanford history, while her nine postseason assists rank second only to Catarina Macario’s 14 from 2017-19 ... has recorded a goal contribution in all 13 of her career NCAA tournament games
- The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 67-15-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to 12 College Cup appearances, seven College Cup Finals, and the NCAA Tournament in 22 of his 23 seasons