CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 9/8 Clemson women’s lacrosse (2-1, 0-1 ACC) battled wire‑to‑wire in a back‑and‑forth matchup against No. 4/5 Stanford (2-0, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday, but a late push came up just short as the Tigers fell 10–9 in a one‑goal finish that featured momentum swings in every quarter.
Clemson’s attack was highlighted by Emma Penczek and Brooke Goldstein, who each had two‑goal performances, and Alexa Spallina’s five-point game (one goal, four assists). Mikaela Mooney and Kayla MacLeod each delivered important second‑half goals, with MacLeod netting her 80th career score, to keep the Tigers within striking distance. On the defensive end, Teagan Scott dominated with five caused turnovers and four ground balls. Gigi Adamson (four) and Tessa DeLuca (one) recorded a combined five saves in goal.
FIRST QUARTER | 3–2, CLEMSON
Clemson and Stanford traded early turnovers before goalkeeper Adamson delivered a pair of strong saves to steady the Tigers. Clemson struck first at 10:55 when Goldstein finished a feed from Spallina but Stanford answered quickly to tie it at 1–1. With momentum swinging, Clemson capitalized on a player‑up opportunity as Mooney scored at 7:06 to reclaim the lead. Adamson continued to anchor the defense but Stanford pulled even again at 2:59. Clemson closed the quarter with the final punch when Penczek buried another Spallina assist with 1:35 remaining, sending the Tigers into the break ahead 3–2.
SECOND QUARTER | TIED 5–5
Penczek opened the frame with a score just 80 seconds in, her second of the day off another setup from Spallina, pushing the Tigers ahead 4–2. Stanford responded during a Clemson green‑card stretch, hitting the post once before Hasselbeck converted to pull within one. The Cardinal later tied it at 4–4 on a free‑position goal from Lawson. Clemson regained the lead at 3:50 when Goldstein finished her second of the afternoon but Stanford answered in the final seconds as Lawson scored again with six ticks left to send the teams into halftime knotted at 5–5.
HALFTIME INTERVIEW
THIRD QUARTER | 8–7, STANFORD
Clemson opened the half with steady possession but couldn’t convert early as Stanford’s defense and Pearson held firm. The Tigers broke through at 9:41 when Byrne finished a feed from Babcock, and Spallina added another less than a minute later to extend the lead to 7–5. A series of Clemson cards shifted momentum and Stanford capitalized. Hasselbeck scored man‑up to pull within one, and the Cardinal followed with back‑to‑back free‑position goals from Oakey and Frist to take an 8–7 lead. Clemson generated late chances but couldn’t equalize, sending Stanford into the fourth with a one‑goal edge.
FOURTH QUARTER | 10–9, STANFORD
Stanford struck first in the fourth, capitalizing on a failed clear as Polisky pushed the Cardinal ahead 9–7. Clemson generated multiple looks, including a post from Aubrie Eisfeld and a free‑position chance. Stanford extended its lead to 10–7 before the Tigers settled back in. Shurtleff answered at 9:58 off a feed from Goldstein, and Clemson kept the pressure on with a long stretch of sustained possession. MacLeod pulled the Tigers within one, scoring her 80th career goal at 6:59, which was setup from Spallina. Clemson continued to force turnovers late, highlighted by key plays from DeLuca and Scott. Despite several final looks, the Tigers couldn’t find the equalizer, and Stanford held on to close out the game with a 10–9 edge.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
STATS RECAP
UP NEXT
The Tigers will head to Charlotte, N.C. to face Queens on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for a 1 p.m. game. Fans can watch on ESPN+ and follow live stats through StatBroadcast.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase women’s lacrosse tickets at ClemsonTigers.com/Tickets/.
For complete coverage of Clemson’s women’s lacrosse program, follow @ClemsonWlax on X, Instagram and Facebook.
