Stanford Locks Up No. 1 Seed in MPSF Tournament
April 13, 2009
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NO. 16 STANFORD (6-0 MPSF, 9-3 overall) clinched the MPSF regular season title and the tournament's No. 1 seed with a 13-4 home win over California Sunday. Maris Perlman tied a school record with five caused turnovers, while Karen Nesbitt and Sarah Flynn recorded three goals apiece. Annie Read had eight saves in goal. The outcome extends the Cardinal conference win streak to nine, and in the process, an automatic placement into the MPSF Tournament semi-finals. The unbeaten conference season was also the eighth in the 15-year history of the program.
NO. 18 OREGON (3-1 MPSF, 10-3 overall) was led by hat tricks from Alex Breiner, and Jess and Jana Drummond in a 15-10 home win over Virginia Tech this past Saturday. Breiner also dished out three assists for a total of six points. Goalkeeper Anna Poponyak recorded a school record 18 saves, also the second highest total amongst all MPSF goalkeepers this year. With the win, the Ducks enter this week's Inside Lacrosse Poll at No. 18. Two more wins this week at California and St. Mary's would secure a No. 2 seed at the conference tournament.
DENVER (4-2 MPSF, 10-6 overall) won two of three MPSF contests, falling to Stanford (17-10), before recovering against UC Davis (18-5) and Fresno State (18-1). In the win over the Aggies, the Pioneers used a 12-0 tear in the final 13 plus minutes to end it. Steph Coyne had five goals and four assists, nailing a hat trick within the huge second half run. Karen Morton added four goals, while Lexi Sanders and Lauren Ciccomascolo added hat tricks. The Pioneers hold the three seed for the tournament, but would bump up to the two with a pair of Oregon losses.
CALIFORNIA (3-2 MPSF, 5-10 overall) dropped a 13-4 MPSF contest at Stanford Sunday. Allie Shropshire registered eight saves in goal, splitting the time with Morgan Dyson who tallied five. Alex Tickner scored two of the team's four goals. The Bears host Oregon Friday (Apr. 17) and can wrap up the three seed with a victory.
UC DAVIS (2-4 MPSF, 4-10 overall) fell 18-5 at home to Denver. The Aggies held tough, only down 6-5 about halfway through the second frame. Alyssa Cranska recorded 11 saves in goal. St. Mary's visits on Thursday (Apr. 16) in a non-conference game. The Aggies are guaranteed to be seeded fifth at the MPSF Tournament
ST. MARY'S (1-4 MPSF, 3-10 overall) defeated St. Francis on the road last Wednesday in a slugfest, 20-19 in overtime. C at Navy Tuesday (Apr. 7), St. Francis Wednesday (Apr. 8), and Duquesne Friday (Apr. 10). Juliet Munroe scored the game-winner in the second OT period. P.J. Hainley put away five goals, while Abbie Coleman, Dana Elfvin and Amy Daniels posted four apiece. The Gaels visit UC Davis Thursday in non-conference, before ending the MPSF schedule at home against Oregon Sunday. SMC has clinched the six seed in the tourney.
FRESNO STATE (0-6 MPSF, 0-13 overall) dropped games at St. Bonaventure (17-4), Johns Hopkins (19-0), Howard (11-9), and Denver (18-1). The Bulldogs had their best look at a first-ever victory in the Howard game, outscoring the Bison 6-3 in the second-half. Goalkeeper Diana Aguilar collected 10 saves in that game. Fresno State will be seeded seventh in the MPSF first-round on the 23rd, taking on the No. 2 seed.
PERLMAN AND COYNE MPSF PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Woodland, Calif. -Stanford senior defensive midfielder Maris Perlman (N. Kingstown, RI/Lincoln School) tied a program record with a career-high five caused turnovers Sunday in a 13-4 win over Cal, as the Cardinal completed an unbeaten MPSF season to secure the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Perlman added a pair of groundballs and a draw control in the 17-10 win over Denver.
Woodland, Calif. -Denver senior attacker Steph Coyne (Baltimore, MD/Bryn Mawr School) recorded 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists in three MPSF games last week. She moved into second on DU's all-time points list (240), as well as into a 10th-place tie on the NCAA all-time assist list (128), also third among active players. The Pioneers picked up a pair of conference wins to stay in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament.