Stanford has moved out in front of the women’s Pacific Mountain North Conference, thanks to a 32-10 win over California this weekend. The Cardinal are now 3-0 in league play and also have a Stanford Invitational title to their season’s victories. Cal is 1-1 and looks to be the second-best team in the league.

Stanford dominated possession in the first half and got the ball into the hands of some powerful ballcarriers.

“Cal was tentative on defense, so we got to play a lot of it, and weren’t able to get much possession,” Cal coach Ellen Owens said. “We made things more difficult for ourselves than necessary. Stanford played well, always pressuring us.”

Stanford put up 20 points in the first half on tries from Bisi Ibrahim, Molly Kinsella, Ellen Danford and Michelle Teo.

“In terms of our play, we did not quite have the game we were looking for,” Stanford’s Frances Wehrwein said. “Our first 20 minutes were particularly strong, with a lull in the middle.”

Cal rallied in the second half and matched Stanford’s two tries from Ibrahim and Amelia Villines, the latter of which Aly Gleason converted.

“In the second half we were better able to get down to business,” Owens said. “We played defense more aggressively and we followed our offensive game plan better.”

Two second-year forwards, Jennifer Costley and Mariah Castro, scored Cal’s tries, capitalizing on breaks from the backs.  Flyhalf Maricel Quirindongo-Crespo played particularly well and managed the game efficiently.

“Stanford was steady on defense,” Owen commended their opponents. “They spread the field, stuck their tackles and almost always got a second defender to the tackle to challenge for the ball.  In the second half though, they got a little impatient on defense and got into penalty trouble.”

Cal got some revenge in the B side game, winning 25-20, and both sides are looking for overall improvement heading into this weekend’s games. Cal will take on Chico, which played their first game against Davis to a 21-17 loss (a team that Cal defeated 31-10), while Stanford plays Davis (2-1).

Pacific Mountain North Conference Standings