Stanford hosted Sacramento State on a beautiful day in Palo Alto, in what was sure to be a tight game. Both teams were coming off of narrow defeats and were eager to get their first win in NorCal league play.
Stanford started well and took the lead as winger Julian Brooks scored in the corner with the opening try of the game. After the missed conversion, Stanford struggled to maintain their momentum and the Hornets replied with a try of their own to make the score 5-5.
Soon after, Sacramento took the lead once again with another unconverted try. Stanford again responded with a period of dominance before the half, but were unable to put points on the board despite a long spell in the Sacramento red zone.
After half time, Stanford upped the pressure and Chase Richard scored off the right wing to make the score 10-10. After the Stanford forwards turned the ball over in the middle of the field, the ball was fed to center Marcus Henderson, whose quick feet set up the try in the corner.
Continuing the ebb and flow of the game, Sacramento took a vital lead with only 15 minutes remaining. In their typical physical style, Sacramento bullied their way into the Stanford try-zone.
However, the drama was not complete until the final few minutes. After a series of quick penalties, scrum half Dan Ibarra powered his way into the corner for a try, making the score 15-15 with the last play of the game. Stanford missed the conversion from the sideline to win the game, but they had to be content to come away with the tie after a scrappy and physical game.
