Huskies overcome Cardinal, prepare for critical matchup with Cal

Mason Robertson made quite an impact in his first start in more than a month. Starting his third game of the season, and first since Oct. 6, Robertson scored the winning goal for the Washington men’s soccer team, his third of the season, off a corner in the 30th minute that propelled the UW to a 2-0 home victory over Stanford on Friday night. The win sets the No. 3 Huskies (12-1-4) up for a huge showdown Sunday with No. 4 California. A win for the Huskies would put them in the driver’s seat in their quest for a first conference title since 2000. “I thought we actually had chances to make it four or five on another night,” UW head coach Jamie Clark said. “I was impressed, we played very well. We limited their chances, and they’re not easy to break down, but we did enough to win it.” Robertson overcame an early miss to give the Huskies the lead 30 minutes in. Justin Schmidt’s in-swinging corner found Robertson in the box, and Robertson headed the ball past diving Stanford keeper Drew Hutchins to give the Huskies an advantage. But the night wasn’t all positive for Robertson, as he was forced to leave the game with less than 20 minutes remaining. He was helped off the field gingerly and appeared to be favoring his left leg. Clark said after the game he wasn’t sure of the extent of the injury, but it didn’t appear to be too serious. After shaking off an early season injury, Clark was encouraged by Robertson’s play Friday. “He’s been great,” Clark said. “He’s finally — knock on wood — healthy, and fit. When he’s fit and healthy he’s a handful up front.” The Huskies largely dominated the first half, outshooting Stanford 7-3. Throughout the opening 30 minutes, the UW had better possession and more chances, nearly getting on the board early when Robertson just poked a shot wide after a quick counter attack. Early in the second half, the Huskies almost doubled their lead. Senior Michael Harris headed another of Schmidt’s corner kicks off the crossbar, and the Stanford defense somehow kept Harris’ header out of the net. Sophomore James Moberg followed that with an attempted volley from outside the penalty area that just missed the top corner of the net. The UW had another chance right before the hour mark, when Brad Jacobson slipped Moberg through on the left side of the box. Moberg’s shot was saved by Hutchins, but the rebound bounced right into the path of Schmidt, who put the ball just over the net. Stanford had a few chances to equalize after the break. Its best opportunity came when a free kick taken from just inside the halfway line bounced around in the box before UW keeper Ryan Herman dove on top of the loose ball. Herman was not very busy Friday night, facing just six shots total from Stanford. The sophomore keeper only had to make one save to earn his sixth clean sheet of the season. The UW defense was active all night in keeping Stanford out of the penalty area and limiting the Cardinal’s chances. “For us, it’s been the same thing all year round,” Schmidt said. “We’re gritty and we’re tough and we’re mean, and that’s the way we’ve played. It was just a matter of making sure we pressured up high on the field, and that’s something we’ve always been very prideful of.” In the 78th minute, Ian Lange put the game away for the Huskies. The sophomore defensive midfielder, making his return after an eight-game absence, collected a pass from Michael Gallagher, turned around in the middle of the field, and fired a shot past a diving Hutchins and into the bottom corner to double the UW lead. “All credit goes to Michael Gallagher [for the goal],” Lange said. “He just found me in a little seam, told me turn, and I hit it, so I give most of the credit to Gally.” It was the culmination of a long road back from injury for Lange, who has been a stalwart in the midfield when healthy. “He brings a very dominating force,” Schmidt said. “He wins tackles, and he’s one of the toughest guys on the field without a doubt.” After the game, Lange had a message for Cal, who the Huskies have next. “They better be ready for us,” he said. “We’re confident, especially after a big win like this. If we take care of what we’re good at, I’m confident we’ll take the three points.” Reach reporter Daniel Rubens at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @drubens12

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