By Daniel Martinez-Krams on September 8, 2019

Staying close to campus for an away match in the city, No. 3 Stanford (5-0, 0-0 Pac-12) dominated play in a 9-0 trouncing against the University of San Francisco (4-2, 0-0 WCC). In an intimate setting, with 1600 fans packed tightly at Negoesco Stadium, the Cardinal tied their largest margin of victory since a 10-0 win over USC on Oct. 9, 1993.

“Very strong performance,” said Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe. “It’s never easy when you’re away from home and I thought the team came out, right from the first whistle and attacked and scored some amazing goals.”

Junior forward Catarina Macario netted her first career hat trick to once again lead Stanford’s offense. Her first goal came just two minutes into the game, when senior forward Beattie Goad won the ball in midfield and found junior forward Madison Haley as an outlet. Haley played Macario into space, who calmly finished back post for an early goal.

“I feel good, fit, healthy,” Macario said. “I’m confident right now and hoping to ride that wave into conference play.”

After playing the entire 2018 season with a nagging injury, Macario is now completely healthy. In the first five games of the year, she has recorded nine goals, with four multi-goal efforts.

“This year has been my best year,” Macario said. “Being fit coming into preseason was big, and trusting myself and my teammates as I stepped into the leadership role I have now as an upperclassmen. It shows on the field by scoring goals, getting assists and doing the little things.”

Macario looked to double her tally in the eighth minute after a foul committed by midfielder Samantha Jehnings. Standing over the free kick, Macario’s shot attempt caromed off the post, and the follow-up attempt from junior midfielder Belle Briede sailed high and wide.

Briede was able to get on the scoresheet in the 11th minute, connecting across the field with senior forward Carly Malatskey. Racing on to the ball, Malatskey took touches into space before beating Dons goalkeeper Olivia Camera to continue her goal per game pace.

In the 20th minute, Briede once again connected with Haley, who slipped Goad into the box for a one-touch finish on goal.

Unrelenting, Macario added her second goal in the 23rd minute off of a throw-in. Junior right back Kiki Pickkett found Macario up the line once again in the 29th minute, who was once again denied by the woodwork.

Seven minutes later, a scramble outside of the box found Rood out of position, but the shot was deflected wide for a corner kick. A well taken attempt almost found the back of the net for an Olimpico, but Rood was there to punch it clear of danger.

Sophomore forward Sophia Smith made her season debut in the 36th minute, entering for Macario. Smith played 39 minutes across the two halves. Fifteen of those minutes were with Stanford’s other two top options at forward, Macario and Haley.

Although USF had not allowed a first-half goal in the five matches to open the season, the Cardinal broke through four times. Stanford led in shots 10-3 at halftime.

Two minutes after play resumed in the second half, Haley found Briede at the top of the box, who wasted no time taking a crack at goal. Camera put gloves on the ball, but could not prevent Stanford’s fifth goal of the game. The assist was Haley’s third of the match, bringing her season total to five.

In the 50th minute, Macario dispossessed defender Halle Watson at midfield, and racing ahead of everyone, dribbled around Camera to finish an open look at goal and her hat trick.

Smith took a pair of shots at goal, first on Camera then on her replacement Molly Eby, but could not convert either.

Macario found junior forward Sam Tran out wide in the 68th minute, who drove into the box before a foul took her down. At the spot, Tran went bottom right to put away her first goal of the season.

Receiving the ball in the box, Malatskey shot at Eby, who made the save but could not secure the ball. Freshman midfielder Maya Doms was there for the Cardinal and took the half-volley first time for her first career goal.

In a season first, redshirt freshman Sierra Enge threaded the needle on a pass to sophomore Sophia Smith, who gained position to send the ball across the net and into the far side netting. The goal was her first since Oct. 18, 2018, when she suffered a season-ending injury against Utah.

“She adds another dimension to our attack,” Ratcliffe said. “She’s a very good player and I think she’s still trying to progress.”

With tonight’s goals from Doms and Smith, Stanford has now gotten contributions from 11 players this year.

“We have a lot of weapons,” Ratcliffe said. “The team is growing and getting better with every training session.”

Stanford took 29 shots, including 18 that tested the Dons keepers. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Rood earned the start for the Cardinal and recorded the shutout with a pair of saves.

“Everything is starting to gel, but we still have a lot to achieve and a lot to improve on,” Ratcliffe said.

Stanford and USF have met once in each of the past three seasons, and the Cardinal now own a 22-1 goal differential over that span. Stanford leads the all-time series against the Dons 23-0.

“They’re hungry,” Ratcliffe said. “They want to be a championship team.”

Stanford heads south to Malibu to face Pepperdine this Friday.

Contact Daniel Martinez-Krams at danielmk ‘at’ stanford.edu.