STANFORD, Calif. – There will be hundreds of games, matches, meets, and tournaments for Stanford during the 2015-16 academic year. And there will be thousands of practices, training sessions, walk-throughs and shootarounds.
There will be quests for national championships, a 22nd consecutive Directors’ Cup and Capital One Cups, and a 40th consecutive year with at least one NCAA team title.
It all must begin somewhere, and that beginning took place Tuesday when the Cardinal women’s soccer team opened training at 9 a.m. at the Maloney Field practice facility.
Under sunny and comfortable conditions, they got right to it with fitness testing. In particular, it began with a series of 10 sprints of 120 yards, with each to be completed within 18 seconds. Rest consisted of a jog back to the starting line.
As is typical, many of the veterans dominated, while some of the young players worked hard to keep up. Still, it was a clear introduction to the requirements of the college game.
“It was definitely one of the hardest tests I’ve ever run in my life,” freshman Tegan McGrady said. “But it’s definitely going to help me.”
The Cardinal is in the midst of a great streak of success. It has reached the NCAA College Cup six of the past seven years, boasts a No. 3 preseason ranking, and has two players – junior goalkeeper Jane Campbell and sophomore midfielder Andi Sullivan -- on the 28-player watch list for the Hermann Trophy, signifying the top player in college soccer.
There will be some challenges that this year’s squad must face, notably a smaller-than-usual roster of 23 that includes six true freshmen. Clearly, the class will be counted on heavily.
“We’re really going to lean on them,” fifth-year senior Haley Rosen said. “They all look fit. They all look like talented soccer players. I think the small roster is good for us. We all feel a sense of ownership, like this is our team. That’s pretty cool.”
Stanford dived right into two-a-days and will continue that schedule for much of August. The team opens play with an Aug. 14 home exhibition against Fresno State and then opens in earnest with an Aug. 19 match at Hawaii. The home opener is Aug. 29 against Boston College.
For McGrady, a local from San Jose, attending games and camps at Stanford inspired her to one day play on the team. On Tuesday, inspiration turned into reality. She may be molded to play the outside back slot that has been filled so successfully by players such as Ali Riley and Rachel Quon.
“I’ve come to games here since I was 9 years old,” McGrady said. “Just watching them got me more excited to go for my dreams. I was set on one thing, and that was to be able to come here and play.”
In contrast is Rosen, the last remaining player from Stanford’s 2011 NCAA championship team and a spring graduate in communication. She is working toward her master’s and has interned at a startup in San Francisco.
“Being older and having gone through it, I’m more comfortable,” Rosen said. “I know the routine a little bit. I know the drill. But, at the same time, I’m really excited. It’s awesome to be back here and it’s awesome to be back on the field.”
Coach Paul Ratcliffe never has failed to bring a Stanford team to the NCAA tournament in his 12 seasons, but he doesn’t feel he’s quite ready to gauge his team’s potential.
“I don’t think I can until I’ve worked with them for a couple of weeks,” Ratcliffe said. “For me, it comes down to the competitiveness of the group, the intensity, the drive, and the camaraderie.”
Ratcliffe always has picked his starting lineups off what he sees in practice sessions, rather than automatically stamping someone as a starter.
“The best players play,” he said. “Freshman, senior, it doesn’t matter.”
That’s why training camp is so important. This is where it counts. Starting now.