By Amanda McLean on April 19, 2015

The Cardinal’s dominance continued in the pool on Thursday against Bay Area rival Cal with a 7-3 victory. This victory marked Stanford’s sixth consecutive perfect MPSF league campaign, and secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in Tempe, Arizona on April 24-26.

Defense and consistent pressure were the keys for Stanford women’s water polo on Thursday, as the game stayed tight throughout the entire first half. Leading only 3-2 going into the third quarter, Stanford quickly upped the tempo to a pace Berkeley was unable to match. Junior Gurpreet Sohi opened up the second half, scoring with a booming shot to allow Stanford to extend the lead to 4-2. Sophomore Jamie Neushul and freshman Jordan Raney later scored on back-to-back plays, giving Stanford much-needed momentum and a decisive 6-2 lead that it would not relinquish.

The remaining Stanford goals were scored by freshman Katie Dudley, junior Maggie Steffens and junior Anna Yelizarova. Junior goalie Gabby Stone also played a large role in the Cardinal’s convincing win, recording 8 saves and a crucial clean third-quarter sheet under heavy Cal pressure. Stone and her teammates held Berkeley to their lowest goal total this season.

Jordan Raney gave @Stanfordh2opolo an insurmountable lead with this goal in the #STANvsCAL Play of the Match: http://t.co/LyC4uO0Ys4 — Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) April 17, 2015

This victory marked the end of regular season play for the women’s water polo team, and they are in excellent position to continue their stellar results in the postseason. Stanford’s veterans have helped give this team a sense of purpose and the belief that they can once again go the distance. However, the team’s freshmen members have also been adding points and defensive play at crucial moments. Jordan Raney has recorded 22 goals this season to lead all freshmen and putting her seventh on the team’s scoring chart. Katie Dudley is right below her with 20 goals, and both have recorded points in some of the team’s closest victories. Stanford will look to utilize this blend of experience and youth in an effort to recapture the glory of last year’s title.

The MPSF Semifinals are next up for the team on Saturday, April 25. Stanford secured a quarterfinal bye by virtue of its regular season record, and will face either Cal or Arizona State. Stanford’s play in the tournament will go a long way in determining the team’s seeding in the NCAA National Championships on May 8-10, which will be hosted at the Avery Aquatic Center. As last year’s national champions, the Cardinal are hoping to defy the unfortunate statistic that no team has ever won an NCAA championship in a year in which they hosted the tournament.

Contact Amanda McLean at ammclean ‘at’ stanford.edu.