Stanford keeps Pilots' offense grounded

The University of Portland women's soccer team might be making progress toward being a team capable of winning a conference title, but it's got a ways to go to show off that won't be a big surprise.

Thursday, the Pilots got overpowered by Stanford, 2-0, in a non-conference game played before a raucous crowd and a national audience on the Fox Soccer Channel.

Stanford scored on a penalty kick by Teresa Noyola late in the first half and again on a spectacular shot by Kristy Zurmhulen midway through the second half to improve to 7-0-1.

Portland went scoreless for the fourth time this season and dropped to 3-4-1 with Southern Cal of the Pac-12 Conference due at Merlo Field Sunday at 1 p.m.

A crowd of 3,410 showed up for the game - more than double the largest crowd the Cardinal have played before this season.

Stanford finished with a 15-2 edge in shots and got Portland goalkeeper Hailee DeYoung to make eight saves. Stanford had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.