PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Karli Stevenson (Fr., Tacoma, Wash.) scored six times and the duo of Maddie Joy (Fr., Edgewood, Wash.) and Mary Elizabeth Ward (So., San Rafael, Calif.) both registered four strikes as Northwest Division Champion/No. 7-ranked the University of Washington overcame New York Division Champion Columbia University, 20-2, in the opening round of the 2017 Women's National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Pittsburgh's Joe C. Trees Pool.
Courtesy the victory, the Huskies of Washington earn a date with No. 6/Big Ten Division Champion The Ohio State University at 11:20 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, in the tournament quarterfinals. The Buckeyes punched their ticket into the quarterfinals by dispatching the other Washington in the field, Heartland Division Champion Washington University in St. Louis, by a 17-2 count in the second game of the 2017 Women's National Collegiate Club Championship tournament.
The victors of the first Women's National Collegiate Club Championship tournament in 2000 with a 7-6 overtime defeat of Michigan State University at the Unviersity of Arizona, the 2017 edition of the Huskies did not extra-time to down the Lions as Washington jumped out to a 7-0 by the end of the first quarter on the way to 12-0 and 16-2 margins by the finale of the second and third quarters.
Washington, which previously placed first (2000), sixth (2003), seventh (2016) and eighth (2004) in four prior trips to the Women's National Collegiate Club Championship after turning down a bid in 2009 as the Northwest Division runner-up, received a pair of goals by Kellie MacPhee (Gr., Encintas, Calif.) and single tallies from Jacqui Li (Fr., Mercer Island, Wash.), Nadra Fredj (Fr., Idaho Falls, Idaho), Margaret Lazzarini (Gr., San Marino, Calif.) and Jalene Weatherholt (So., San Jose, Calif.) to accompany the offensive onslaught of 14 combined goals by Stevenson, Joy and Ward.
In cage, Lizzy Lipps (Sr., Menlo Park, Calif.) went the distance to stop nine shots and pick-up the victory.
Maryann Verghese (Gr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) and Electra Williams (Fr., Pasadena, Calif.) comprised Columbia's offense as the tandem torqued in single scores for the Lions. Clara Benioff (Fr., Golden, Colo.) and Stephanie Norwood (Jr., Dearborn, Mich.) split time in cage to combine for seven saves over the course of the game's 28-minutes of competition.
The loss drops Columbia into the consolation side of the bracket as the Lions will sharpen their claws for an 8:40 p.m. consolation showdown this evening against Washington University in St. Louis. Columbia, which can not finish higher than Ninth in the final 16-team tournament standings due to its loss to Washington (Wash.), previously placed 12th and ninth in 12 team fields (2001, 2003) before finishing 15th in 16-team fields (2007, 2013) in their prior trips to the National Championship event.
Washington Goals: Karl Stevenson (6); Maddie Joy (4); Mary Elizabeth Ward (4); Kellie MacPhee (2); Jacqui Li; Nadra Fredj; Margaret Lazzarini; Jalene Weatherholt
Columbia Goals: Maryann Verghese; Electra Williams
Saves: Washington - Lizzy Lipps (9) ; Columbia - Clara Benioff (2, 14 minutes), Stephanie Norwood (5, 14 minutes)
Exclusions: Washington - 3 ; Columbia - 1
Advantage Opportunities: Washington - -for-1 ; Columbia - -for-3
Sprints: Washington - 4-for-4 ; Columbia - 0-for-4
Cards: None
Officials: Pat Beemer, Jay O'Neil