Stanford took a big step toward another appearance in the College Cup last night, defeating visiting UCLA in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite being outshot by the Bruins (13-8-2) by a 14-13 margin, the No. 1 Cardinal (21-0-2) capitalized on an early Bruin mistake and two goals by national scoring leader Christen Press en route to a 3-0 shutout.

On a cold, rainy night that was strange enough to begin with, Stanford got the scoring started in an unusual way.  In just the fifth minute, sophomore midfielder Mariah Nogueira launched a long pass from left of the box, which ricocheted off Bruin defender Elise Britt’s head and knocked against the far post before sneaking into the net.  The Bruins were charged with an own goal as Stanford took an early 1-0 lead.

Both teams appeared to struggle in the slippery conditions early on, but adjusted with time. Players on each team, like Stanford’s Annie Case in the 14th minute, lost the ball after sliding to the ground, which led to some physical play early on. UCLA midfielder Natalia Ledezma brought junior forward Camille Levin crashing to the ground in the left corner and was charged with only a foul, which had Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe asking for a yellow card.

At other times in the opening frame, the Cardinal was able to capitalize on turnovers that were created, at least in part, by players making mistakes on the battered playing surface.  One of Stanford’s best early chances came after Press took a misplayed ball in the Bruin zone before charging in with a low shot form the top of the box, which UCLA goalkeeper Chante Sandiford was just able to dive and deflect.

Despite the inclement weather, Ratcliffe was impressed with how the field at Laird Q. Cagan, which was recently upgraded, held up.

“I thought the field conditions were actually superb,” he said.  “We had a brand new field put in, so the field conditions were great, it was just the rain coming down.”

Press certainly didn’t have any trouble handling the ball when she gave the Cardinal its first offensive goal midway through the half.  Taking a pass from Levin in the 29th minute, Press streamed towards the box on the left side before deking right past a Bruin defender, pausing for a moment, and firing a right-footed shot that arced over a diving Sandiford inside the right post.

For Press, a senior captain, it was the first goal in a postseason that has been dominated by Stanford’s youth.  The Cardinal’s last nine goals have come from nine different players, and two players, Alina Garciamendez and Nina Watkins, scored their first-ever collegiate goals in the playoffs.

Press, who saw increased defensive coverage against Sacramento State and Santa Clara last week, acknowledged that she benefited from a different defensive approach by the Bruins.

“Sometimes you go through spells where you don’t score, and then you do, so that’s what happens and life moves forward,” she said.  “But also, when you play great teams like UCLA, they don’t have such specific tactics, so they played us more straight-up and that means there’s just more space.”

Including the goal she scored in the second half, Press now has 25 on the season.  That puts her one score away from tying Kelley O’Hara’s school record for the most goals in a single season, set last year in the playoffs.  Press already holds Stanford records in goals (70) and points (178), and is tied for the mark in assists (40).

The Bruins stepped up their attack in the second half, forcing corner kicks and assaulting Cardinal goalkeeper Emily Oliver as they exceeded Stanford’s mark in total shots.  Oliver was able to turn away the Bruins’ best opportunities, making four saves in the half. Stanford also benefited from the return of sophomore defender Courtney Verloo, who had been scratched for several games and was wearing a knee brace for all 80 minutes that she played Friday night.  In her absence, Levin was temporarily moved from defensive back to forward.

With the potential for drawing strong opponents like North Carolina as the tournament progresses, Ratcliffe was pleased with his team’s response to UCLA’s aggression on offense.

“We were very resilient, and I thought the back four did a fantastic job,” he said. “Emily [Oliver] did a fantastic job, and once we broke that little bit of pressure, we were able to get the third goal … It helps so much having Courtney [Verloo] back, because it frees up Cami [Levin]. Cami, I thought, was one of the stars today.”

In the midst of UCLA’s pressure, Stanford was able to extend its lead on a brilliant passing play.  In the 60th minute, junior forward Lindsay Taylor sent in a ball from midfield to her classmate, Teresa Noyola, on the left side of the box.  After controlling for a moment, Noyola sent the ball out to Press, who fired a shot from dead-center at the top of the box to beat Sandiford on the right side and give her team a 3-0 lead.

Stanford would hold on for the shutout despite facing continued pressure from the Bruins, including a great look from Iman Beard in the 71st minute, who charged in on the right side and knocked a low shot that Oliver saved with a quick dive.

For UCLA, the defeat is particularly tough to take.  The Bruins had made it to the national semifinal in each of the past seven seasons entering the 2010 tournament.  Most recently, they lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to the Cardinal thanks to an overtime goal by Press that sent Stanford into the 2009 national championship game.

The win lifts Stanford back into the Elite Eight, where they’ll play either Marquette or Florida State at home.

That match has yet to be scheduled, but will take place at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium sometime next weekend.