After their 2005 season ended with a disappointing loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Stanford women’s soccer has something to prove this year. The Cardinal, ranked No. 19 in the first poll but currently out of the Top 30, was picked to finish third in the Pacific-10 Conference behind 2005 NCAA finalist No. 4 UCLA and No. 10 California.

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Sophomore defender Marisa Abegg was one of two freshmen who started every game last year. She returns to a team that looks to go at least one step farther this season than it did in the last. #gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/6153
Noah Hawthorne

Sophomore defender Marisa Abegg was one of two freshmen who started every game last year. She returns to a team that looks to go at least one step farther this season than it did in the last.

Seniors Shari Summers, Rachel Buehler and Jenny Farenbaugh provide veteran leadership to a team that features nine sophomores and five freshmen with only seven upperclassmen.

The Cardinal got off to a tough start at the Santa Clara Tournament, dropping a close game, 2-1, to Utah. Junior Mimi Yuhas scored her first career goal in the game, but the Cardinal could not catch the Utes.

Stanford once more fell just short in the second match of the tournament. Again the team lost 2-1, this time in overtime to No. 14 Wake Forest. Sophomore Hilary Heath scored early to put the Cardinal ahead, but the Demon Deacons equalized with six minutes left in the game. A goal in the second minute of overtime gave Wake Forest the victory.

The Card recovered from the pair of losses to string together four straight shutout victories over University of San Francisco, Cal Poly, Rutgers and Long Island University, notching 10 goals in the process. Sophomore goalkeeper Alex Gamble and junior keeper Erica Holland only needed three saves between them to hold all four opponents scoreless.

Summers, junior Lizzy George and freshmen Kristin Stannard and Ali Riley scored twice each while freshmen Alicia Jenkins and Kelley O’Hara added one apiece. Summers was Pac-10 Player of the Week and a member of the National Team of the Week for her pair of game-winners. Defender Buehler found herself on the national list the following week.

The winning streak came to an end at the Stanford Invitational last week when No. 9 Tennessee pulled out a 1-0 victory. Although the Cardinal outshot the Lady Vols 11-5, the Stanford offense could not find the back of the net.

The Cardinal closed out their home tournament Sunday with a 3-0 win over No. 24 Boston University.

Next weekend Stanford will host UC-Irvine and San Diego State before finishing the preseason at No. 3 Santa Clara.