What's Next
Pac-12 champion Stanford (13-2-2, 6-1-2) concludes its regular season at home on Thursday, November 12 at 6 p.m. when it hosts rival Cal (9-5-2, 4-3-2) at Cagan Stadium. JB Long and Cobi Jones have the call on Pac-12 Networks.
Senior Day and Championship Celebration
Prior to Thursday’s match, the No. 6 Cardinal will honor its four seniors - Slater Meehan, Ty Thompson, Eric Verso and Brandon Vincent. That group has led a program which has improved every year under their guidance, starting from a 9-8-1 mark in 2012 to today’s top-10 13-2-2 Stanford side.
A trophy ceremony will take place following the match to recognize Stanford's 2015 Pac-12 championship.
Weekend Recap
Despite a weekend off, the Cardinal still had reason to celebrate on Friday. Stanford, which clinched at least a share of the league title by virtue of a 2-0 victory at Oregon State on October 31, claimed the 2015 trophy outright following Washington’s 1-1 draw at San Diego State on Friday night.
History vs. Cal
Stanford is 26-22-9 in 57 all-time meetings with the No. 23 Bears dating back to 1973. The Cardinal is 6-1-2 in its last nine games against Cal, including a 2-1 win in Berkeley to open its Pac-12 slate early this year. Stanford has concluded its regular season against Cal every year since 2003, is 6-6 in those games, but has won the last four.
King of the Pac
Stanford’s 2015 conference title will sit on the mantle alongside championships from 2014 and 2001. The Cardinal is the first school to win two in a row since UCLA in 2011-12 and the second of the league’s northern members, joining Cal in 2006-07.
| Pac-12 Men's Soccer Champions | |
| Year | Team |
| 2015 | Stanford |
| 2014 | Stanford |
| 2013 | Washington |
| 2012 | UCLA |
| 2011 | UCLA |
| 2010 | California |
| 2009 | UCLA |
| 2008 | UCLA |
| 2007 | California |
| 2006 | California |
| 2005 | UCLA |
| 2004 | UCLA |
| 2003 | UCLA |
| 2002 | UCLA |
| 2001 | Stanford |
| 2000 | Washington |
Sweep
The Stanford women’s soccer program claimed its outright Pac-12 title on November 1. It’s the first time the Cardinal has swept the league’s soccer championships and the first time since 2008 (UCLA) that both the conference’s men’s and women’s soccer titles have been won by the same institution.
| Pac-12 Championship Men's and Women's Soccer Sweeps | |
| Year | School |
| 2015 | Stanford |
| 2008 | UCLA |
| 2005 | UCLA |
| 2004 | UCLA* |
| 2003 | UCLA |
| 2000 | Washington |
*UCLA's women were co-champions in 2004 along with Arizona.
What's at Stake
In addition to tournament seeding, the Cardinal could work its way up all-time Stanford lists in its regular season finale on Thursday. At 6-1-2 in Pac-12 play, the Cardinal has an opportunity to set a program record for conference wins. Stanford has won six Pac-12 matches three times (2014, 2001, 2000), but never seven.
Stanford’s 13 overall wins are currently tied for seventh in team history (2014, 1997, 1982). Only six Cardinal sides have ever won 14 or more games (14 - 1979; 16 - 1978; 17 - 2002; 18 - 1998 and 2000; 19 - 2001).
Confines of Cagan
Stanford is 7-0-2 at home this season and is 16-1-6 in its last 23 matches at Cagan Stadium.
Streaking
Stanford’s 2-1 loss at Washington on November 2 was its first since a season-opening setback at UC Santa Barbara on August 28, a span of 66 days.
| Stanford Unbeaten Streaks | |
| Year(s) | Length |
| 1996-97 | 20 |
| 2015 | 15 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 1980-81 | 11 |
| 2001 | 10 |
| 1980-81 | 10 |
The defeat snapped Stanford’s 15-match unbeaten streak, the second-longest run in program history, and the program’s 16-match unbeaten streak in conference play, a run which is tied for 17th in NCAA history.
10+ in Three Straight
In just his fourth year at the helm, Jeremy Gunn has already led Stanford to three straight seasons of 10 or more wins, becoming the third coach in program history to accomplish the feat along with Bobby Clark (1996-2000) and Nelson Lodge (1978-83).
The Cardinal will also appear in its third consecutive NCAA Tournament beginning later this month, the second-longest stretch in Stanford history behind a six-year run from 1997 to 2002.
| Stanford NCAA Tournament Appearances | |
| Year | Result |
| 2015 | --- |
| 2014 | Second Round |
| 2013 | Third Round |
| 2009 | Third Round |
| 2002 | College Cup Final |
| 2001 | College Cup Semifinal |
| 2000 | Quarterfinals |
| 1999 | First Round |
| 1998 | College Cup Final |
| 1997 | First Round |
| 1992 | First Round |
| 1991 | First Round |
| 1978 | First Round |
| 1962 | First Round |
Staying Ahead
Always Willing to Help
Stanford is 12th nationally in assists per game (2.06) and 18th in total assists (35) thanks largely to Eric Verso and Corey Baird.
Verso is six nationally in total assists (10) and eighth in assists per game (0.59). Baird’s seven assists are 31st in the country and his 0.41 assists per game average is 35th.
Stanford, Akron, American, Georgetown and SMU are the only teams in the nation that have two different players with at least seven assists.
More Verso
Verso is one of just 14 players in the country with 10 or more assists.
He is the ninth Stanford player since 1980 to reach that number, the fourth since 1985 and the first since 2002. No Cardinal had reached double digits in assists since Roger Levesque (13) and Todd Dunivant (11) in 2002.
| Stanford Players With 10+ Assists Since 1980 | ||
| Player | Year | Assists |
| Ted Rafalovich | 1981 | 17 |
| Ted Rafalovich | 1980 | 16 |
| Roger Levesque | 2002 | 13 |
| Jorge Titinger | 1982 | 12 |
| Todd Dunivant | 2002 | 11 |
| Walter Kingson | 1983 | 11 |
| Eric Verso | 2015 | 10 |
| Matt Moses | 2000 | 10 |
| Giancarlo Ferruzzi | 1984 | 10 |
Morris Magic
The Cardinal will be without the services of striker Jordan Morris for the fifth time this season. On Friday, the junior was named by U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to the roster for the USA’s first match of 2018 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Morris and the United States face St. Vincent & the Grenadines at 3:30 p.m. PT on Friday, November 13 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Morris has already made an impact with the MNT this year, scoring against Mexico in April and assisting on the game-winning goal against the Netherlands.
He has split time between the senior team, making five appearances with the MNT in 2015, while also earning 11 caps with the U-23s, scoring six goals and tallying four assists. Stanford is 6-0-2 in the past two years when Morris has been gone with U.S. Soccer.
More Morris
A MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, Morris has a career-high eight goals in 13 appearances for Stanford in 2015. In his last nine games with the Cardinal, the junior has seven goals, two assists and 16 points.
Earlier this season, Morris slotted one past the keeper in five straight collegiate matches, becoming just the second Cardinal to do that since 1987. (Darren Fernandez; September 21 – October 3, 2002).
More Than Just Soccer
Morris, a Type 1 diabetic, is also lending his support to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) “T1D Looks Like Me Campaign” for National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM) in November. Among a number of different pieces to the awareness push, Morris was featured in a Times Square display ad the first week of the month.
Times Square treatment. #GoStanford #NDAM #JDRF #T1DLooksLikeMe
A photo posted by Stanford Men's Soccer (@stanfordmenssoccer) on Nov 4, 2015 at 2:19pm PST
It's in the Rankings
Stanford currently sits at No. 6 in the NSCAA Top 25, its first time outside the top five since September 8.
| Stanford Week-by-Week Rankings (NSCAA) | |
| Week | Rank |
| Preseason | No. 8 |
| September 1 | No. 16 |
| September 8 | No. 13 |
| September 15 | No. 4 |
| September 22 | No. 3 |
| September 29 | No. 3 |
| October 6 | No. 3 |
| October 13 | No. 3 |
| October 20 | No. 3 |
| October 27 | No. 4 |
| November 3 | No. 4 |
| November 10 | No. 6 |
The Cardinal is No. 5, and tops in the Pac-12, in the official RPI released by the NCAA on Monday. Stanford finished fourth in RPI a season ago, its best in the final report of a season since ending 2002 No. 3 using the NCAA’s official formula.
It's in the Defense
Stanford is among the nation’s defensive leaders, ranking 13th in team goals against average (0.68).
Continuity has led to Andrew Epstein only being called upon for 43 saves thus far and as a team the Cardinal has made 44, an average of 2.59 per game which is the 11th fewest in the country.
Epstein’s 0.684 goals against average is second in the Pac-12 and is 16th in the NCAA.
| Nation's Top Defenses | |
| Team | GAA |
| St. Francis Brooklyn | 0.38 |
| Denver | 0.41 |
| Western Michigan | 0.42 |
| Loyola Chicago | 0.44 |
| Wake Forest | 0.54 |
| Kentucky | 0.56 |
| Clemson | 0.60 |
| Dartmouth | 0.61 |
| Coastal Carolina | 0.62 |
| SIUE | 0.67 |
| Washington | 0.67 |
| Creighton | 0.67 |
| Stanford | 0.68 |
Stanford has allowed only 12 goals through its first 17 matches, its stingiest defensive effort since it let in 10 through the first 17 games of 2002.
Stanford’s eight shutouts this season is its most since 2009 (9). Andrew Epstein’s six solo shutouts are 11th in Cardinal single-season history. Craig Ueland (1977) and Willie Burkhardt (1983) are tied for ninth with seven.
Destination Stanford
Sir Alex Ferguson made his second visit to campus in the last four months this past week, discussing his reflections and insights on leadership and management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business on Monday, Oct. 19.
A photo posted by Stanford Men's Soccer (@stanfordmenssoccer) on Oct 20, 2015 at 4:07pm PDT
In late July, Ferguson and Manchester United used Cagan Stadium for training during their United States tour. The visit continued a trend of top national sides and clubs utilizing the unparalleled facilities and environment of Stanford for training. The USMNT visited campus for camp before the 2014 FIFA World Cup and within the past two years Stanford has also hosted Italian giant Juventus and English side Norwich City.
All CLASS
On October 26, Brandon Vincent was named one of 10 men’s soccer Senior CLASS Award finalists for his accomplishments in the classroom and community, and on the field.
Checks all the boxes. Vote Brandon for @SnrCLASSAward » https://t.co/OUAu4aKtOu #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/mLgyxN8fdv
— StanfordMen'sSoccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 28, 2015
Academic All-District
Andrew Epstein, Drew Skundrich, Ty Thompson and Eric Verso were selected to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District Men’s Soccer Team on October 29. The quartet now advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected early next month.
Card's four Academic All-District selections are tops among the NSCAA Top 25 » https://t.co/e2LMNfLuLn #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/wtXNaC4S0O
— StanfordMen'sSoccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 29, 2015
The four Cardinal representatives on the 13-member team from District 8 set a new program record, surpassing the three from 2014, 2013, 2003 and 2002. Stanford has placed multiple student-athletes on CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams for three straight years and its four this year are more than any other of the nation’s top 25 teams.