No. 11 Stanford women’s soccer (5-2-0, 0-0-0 Pac-12) defeated Loyola Marymount University (0-8-0, 0-0-0 WCC) 3-0 at home on Sunday to rack up their fifth win of the season. The much-needed victory came at a crucial time, as the Cardinal have only one more game until conference battles begin.

The Stanford defense dominated throughout the match, allowing no shots from the opposing offense. On the offensive end, Stanford pelted the defense with attempts, putting together 26 shots with 11 on goal. The only concerning factor was their limited accuracy in front of the goal. When the opposition becomes tighter, especially within the Pac-12, the Cardinal will need to be put away more of their attempted shots. 

The three goals came fairly evenly spaced throughout the game. The first came in the 23rd minute from the season star so far, fifth-year midfielder Belle Briede, with an assist from freshman midfielder Andrea Kitahata. The goal marked the third of the season for Briede.

Right before the end of the first half, sophomore midfielder Amy Sayer put in a second goal off an assist from junior midfielder Katie Duong — Sayer’s first on the season.

Going into the second half, the Cardinal were up by two goals, and had most of the momentum. The third and final goal came once again from Briede, her fourth of the season, with the assist coming from redshirt junior midfielder Sierra Enge.

The win will carry the Cardinal into a matchup against reigning NCAA champions, Santa Clara, on Sept. 19.