STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford returned among the nation’s elite men’s soccer programs in 2014.
The Cardinal had a historic season, including the program’s first league title since 2001, a No. 1 NSCAA ranking, its most wins (13) since 2002 and its best winning percentage (.763) since 2001. Stanford has posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins for the first time since 2001-02.
Stanford finished its season 13-3-3 overall and 6-1-3 in league action. The Cardinal, which began its Pac-12 schedule with two wins, a loss and three draws finished 4-0 down the stretch to seal the title. Redshirt senior Austin Meyer’s winner in the 103rd minute at Cal on Nov. 16 pulled Stanford to the top of the conference table with 21 points, one point clear of UCLA. It was just the program’s second Pac-12 championship and first since 2001.
The Cardinal was led by sophomore forward Jordan Morris and junior defender Brandon Vincent, both named NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-Americans. The duo were the Cardinal’s first All-Americans since Bobby Warshaw was also named to the first team in 2009. Warshaw (2009), Todd Dunivant (2002), Lee Morrison (2001), Ryan Nelsen (2000) and Jamie Clark (1998) are Stanford’s only other NSCAA First Team All-America honorees.
Stanford is the only school that will return a pair of first team All-Americans in 2015.
That duo was joined by two of the country’s best freshmen in Corey Baird and Tomas Hilliard-Arce. Both made Soccer America All-Freshman squads, Baird was on the NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region Second Team and Hilliard-Arce made that organization’s All-Far West Region Third Team.
The Cardinal’s success can be attributed to the leadership of Jeremy Gunn, who was named both NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Coach of the Year for his work in 2014. Associate head coach John Smith was also tabbed as the region’s best assistant.
The Cardinal won its Pac-12 Championship in Berkeley without the services of forward Jordan Morris, who earned his first cap for the U.S. Men’s National Team in a November 18 friendly against Ireland in Dublin, a 4-1 win for the hosts. When Morris came on in the 76th minute, he became the first current collegian to receive a cap for the U.S. since Ante Razov in 1995 against Uruguay before his senior season at UCLA.
In total, six of Stanford’s eight All-Pac-12 selections from this season return next fall, including goalkeeper Andrew Epstein, who orchestrated a Cardinal defense which finished 38th in the nation with a 0.85 goals against average. Epstein’s 0.857 individual goals against average led the conference, was 43rd in the country and seventh in Stanford single-season history.
Also back will be redshirt senior Eric Verso, who was second on last season’s squad in both goals (5) and assists (5) and tops in points (15).
- - - - - - - - - - -
- Soccer America Men's All-Freshman First Team
- All-Pac-12 Second Team
- NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region Second Team
- Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Freshman Second Team
- Two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week (Nov. 3 and Nov. 10)
- Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (Nov. 18)
- All-Pac-12 Second Team
- NSCAA Scholar All-West Region first team
- Capital One Academic All-District
- Pac-12 All-Academic second team
- Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week (Oct. 14)
- Pac-12 All-Academic second team
- NSCAA Scholar All-West Region honorable mention
- Pac-12 All-Academic first team
- All-Pac-12 Second Team
- Pac-12 All-Academic first team
- Pac-12 All-Academic second team
- NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year
- Pac-12 Coach of the Year
- Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Freshman First Team
- Soccer America Men's All-Freshman Second Team
- All-Pac-12 Second Team
- NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region Third Team
- Pac-12 All-Academic second team
- All-Pac-12 Second Team
- NSCAA Scholar All-West Region first team
- Pac-12 All-Academic first team
- Pac-12 Player of the Week (Nov. 17)
- NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-American
- NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region First Team
- All-Pac-12 First Team
- Top Drawer Soccer Best XI First Team
- MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist
- Soccer America Men's MVPs Second Team
- Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team
- In November, became the first active collegian since 1995 to receive a cap for the U.S. Men’s National Team when he came on in the 76th minute in a friendly against Ireland in Dublin
- Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention
- NSCAA Far West Region Assistant Coach of the Year
- All-Pac-12 honorable mention
- NSCAA Scholar All-West Region honorable mention
- Pac-12 All-Academic first team
- Capital One Academic All-District
- Pac-12 All-Academic second team
- NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-American
- NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region First Team
- Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year
- All-Pac-12 First Team
- Top Drawer Soccer Best XI Second Team
- Soccer America Men's MVPs Second Team
- Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention