Women’s soccer faces tough tests during trip to Stanford

Lying ahead of Boston University women’s soccer team this weekend is likely the toughest two-game stretch the team will play since its stint in the NCAA tournament last year. The Terriers will travel west to Stanford, Calif., where they will participate in the Stanford Nike Invitational, matching up against Stanford University on Friday and Santa Clara University on Sunday.

BU (3–2–1) last faced Stanford (2–1–1) during its 2010 campaign, at which point the Cardinals were No. 1 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll. The result of the game was a 2–1 Terrier loss to the team that would advance all the way to the NCAA championship match, only to be defeated by the University of Notre Dame.

Last year, Stanford did not suffer the same misfortune. The Cardinals defeated Duke in the final game and become NCAA champions for the first time in program history. The team allowed only one goal during its six tournament games.

“[Players] want the games to matter, they want the games to be highlight games,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman. “When you think about the national recognition of some of the games we play … that doesn’t happen if you’re not playing top-ranked teams.”

If Feldman and her players are looking for a highlight game, this Friday’s matchup should suffice. A victory over No. 5 Stanford could boost BU back into the top 25 and solidify the team as a fearsome force for all its future competitors. There may be no better time to take advantage of a lacking Stanford team than tomorrow, as the Cardinals tied BC in their last match and suffered its first loss in two seasons to West Virginia on Aug. 26.

On Sunday, the Terriers will be pitted against Stanford rival Santa Clara University. The Broncos (2–2–1) began the season at No. 17, but were quickly cut down by Stanford by a score of 6–1 on opening day.

Santa Clara will be playing without one of its stars, junior captain Julie Johnston, a 2011 First Team All-American. Johnston scored nine goals to lead the Broncos last year, and also tacked on four assists for a total of 22 points. The skilled midfielder has helped the U-20 Women’s National Team advance to the World Cup Final against Germany this Saturday in Japan.

With regards to statistics, the Terriers seem to outperform the Broncos on the offensive side of the ball. BU has already entered triple digits in the category of shots taken this year with 101. Santa Clara has taken a mere 63 through its five games. BU’s shot percentage of .119 also slightly exceeds the .111 of SCU. The Broncos have also allowed two more goals than the Terriers in one fewer game played.

Regardless of statistics, it is likely that SCU will not go down without a fight, having gained much experience in an exceptional California region.

“I also think that [playing a difficult schedule] helps us get better, individually and collectively,” Feldman said. “I think it readies us for conference play, and I think it readies us for the postseason if we’re fortunate enough to get there.

“When we get to the conference play … you want to be exposed a little bit, you want to be put under that kind of pressure so that when you get to the conference games, you’ve already been there and done that and you’ve seen ‘this is the way we’ve done it and this is the way it has worked for us.”