STANFORD, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team will travel north to take on No. 14-ranked Stanford in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gauchos return to the big dance for the first time since 2009.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a penalty shootout win against Cal State Bakersfield. It took nine penalty-takers to clinch the shootout win for the Gauchos.
 
The Gauchos' run through The Big West Championships was one for the record books. The Blue and Gold came from behind in the opening round to defeat Cal State Fullerton 2-1. In the semifinals, the Gauchos took on UC Davis and defeated them 3-2 in double overtime. Devin Greer's penalty kick goal was the game-winner in the 110th minute.
 
CONTAINING THE CARDINAL
Stanford comes into the match with a 13-4-1 overall record and a 5-4-1 record in their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). During their non-conference slate, the Cardinal went a perfect 8-0-0 and outscored their opponents 10-1 in the eight matches.
 
Offensively, Stanford has a plus-10 goal differential across its 18 matches. It has also outshot its opponents by 130 shots. The Cardinal averages over 15 shots per contest while limiting its opponents to just over 8 per match. It has also earned nearly 30 more corner kicks than its opposition.
 
The Cardinal attack is led by Redshirt Junior Andrea Kitahata. In 18 matches, Kitahata leads the Cardinal in goals (7), assists (5), points (19), and shots on goal (31). Stanford also has five other players who have recorded multiple goals on the season. In total, they have 11 different goal scorers this season.
 
In net for Stanford stands 5-foot 10-inch Haley Craig. In 18 matches, she has recorded 47 saves, allowed 15 goals and posted nine clean sheets. She comes into the match with a sub-1.00 goals-against average and 0.758 save percentage. She has earned all 13 wins this season for the Cardinal.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
The fixture between UC Santa Barbara and Stanford will take place on Friday, Nov. 15. Kick off is set for 6 p.m. at Maloney Field at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. For those unable to make the trip north, the match will be streamed through ESPN+ with live stats available through ncaa.com.