Shutout: This was about as close as Christen Press, left, got to the Notre Dame goal and any chance of scoring on goalkeeper Nikki Weiss Sunday at the NCAA championship (AP Photo).
Palos Verdes Estates’ Christen Press, the nation’s leading scorer, was held to just one shot on goal by a dominating Notre Dame midfield and defense and Stanford lost for the first time this season in the College Cup Sunday in North Carolina.
It’s the second consecutive College Cup final loss for Stanford and the second time in a row Stanford had gone through the season unbeaten only to fall at the final hurdle
Stanford was fortunate Notre Dame didn’t add one or two more, an excellent performance by freshman goalkeeper Emily Oliver keeping them in the game.
Press, Stanford’s all-time leading scorer, is a candidate for the Hermann Trophy, given to the nation’s best female college player; Stanford’s Kelley O’Hara won last year.