Arizona soccer was handled with ease in their game against No. 2 Stanford, losing 2-6. Despite the loss, the Wildcats are only the second team to score against the Cardinal during conference play.
The Wildcats started off well, playing with their usual intense pressing, but once they conceded the first goal, they could never quite recover and return to that level of play. In the end, the two wins they secured the weekend previous were not enough to help propel the Wildcats to more wins this weekend, as they fell to both California teams.
The Wildcats conceded an early goal in the seventh minute against the run of play. A ball scuffed through the backline of Arizona and fell to the feet of Stanford forward Catarina Macario, who made quick work of the chance and slotted it into the corner of the goal.
A mistake by freshman sensation goalkeeper Hope Hisey in the 30th minute of the game led to Stanford’s next goal. A powerful free kick on the edge of the box, over the wall, came right into the chest of Hisey. It was too powerful to control for Hisey, who spilled it in front of the net when Naomi Girma of Stanford got to the ball first and slid it home to double their lead.
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Arizona still had hopes of coming away with points in the 34th minute, when Arizona drew blood. Jill Aguilera and Jada Talley continued to play well together, as Talley played the ball in to Aguilera with a great pass before Talley skillfully chipped the ball right over the keeper and into the net.
The third goal for Stanford came in the 39th minute from Macario for her second of the match. The ball was ripped toward the near post where it was tapped in by Macario. This gave Macario her 23rd goal of the season. Stanford quickly added another goal to go up 4-1.
The last goal of the first half came in right at the end in the 45th minute, when a foul by Arizona in the box gifted a penalty for Stanford. Abby Gruebel stepped up to the penalty spot, where she sent Hisey diving the wrong direction and scored her fourth goal of the season.
Arizona was able to add to another goal in the 56th minute when Brooke Wilson was able to find Aguilera, who struck the ball well onto the post. It came off the post and into the net for Aguilera’s eighth goal of the season and Wilson’s fourth assist of the season.
Stanford compounded Arizona’s misery when they found the net for the sixth time in the 63rd minute. A well-taken corner kick by Stanford put the ball at the far post and at the feet of Sophia Smith, who controlled the ball before placing it into the top right corner of the net.
Arizona will try to bounce back next weekend when they travel back home for their final game to face ASU. The game will be on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Watch on the Pac-12 Network or at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium.
