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Danville resident Allison Falk normally plays a defensive position for the Stanford women’s soccer team, but the junior knows a thing or two about scoring as well.
Falk, who had her lip cut during play on Sunday afternoon, merely stepped up to the line, faced Cal goalie Rosie Aguilera, and powered a penalty shot by her for the game-winner, setting off a celebration.
After playing to a 1-1 tie in double overtime with visiting California, Stanford advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second straight year, winning the shootout by a 7-6 margin. Even the penalty kick was sudden death.
“It was all about Alex (Gamble) saving that first one,” Falk said. “I knew I just had to get it in. I wasn’t that nervous, I just wanted to get it done.”
Fifth-ranked Stanford (15-2-5) hosts No. 10 Connecticut on Friday at 7 p.m. The Huskies beat Wake Forest, 1-0, on Sunday.
Stanford beat the Huskies, 1-0, in September.
“When you get to this stage every game is tough,” Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, we just have to get after them.”
The Cardinal has been on the other side of penalty kicks, twice in the past six years getting knocked out of the NCAA tournament due to penalty kicks. Both times the ignominious event occurred on Stanford’s home field.
Gamble, a junior goalkeeper who appeared in one game (45 minutes total) all season, turned in a spectacular performance. She blocked Cal’s first attempt, and then made a diving save along the ground to push away Caitlin Hannegan’s shot that set up Falk for the game winner.
“The first one is crucial,” Ratcliffe said. “It sets the tone and the momentum. Alex did a fantastic job, as did our shooters. I want the most confident penalty kick takers out there. It’s not a fun way to lose.”
Stanford held the advantage into the fourth set of kickers thanks to Gamble’s save. Shari Summers, Kelley O’Hara and Christen Press put the Cardinal on the verge of the win. Lizzy George hit the top of the crossbar, and Kristin Stannard followed with a goal to send it to a second round.
While Stanford had its five kickers set, Cal was looking for volunteers to round out its lineup. Alison McCann and April Wall matched goals with Cal players before Gamble made her second save.
“We showed great character,” Ratcliffe said.
Stannard gave Stanford the lead when she poked in a shot from the middle of the box after taking a crossing pass from Ali Riley with 10:49 remaining in the first half. Summers helped set up the goal with a long sideline pass to Riley.
“I remember that Ali had the ball and there were three or four people in the box,” Stannard said. “I was kind of trailing and the ball came right to me. I told myself, ‘I can score this; why not?”
Cal tied it with 1:50 left in regulation when Alex Morgan got a header past Erica Holland off Cal goalie’s Gina Pellegrini’s free kick from just inside the midfield stripe.
