STANFORD, Calif. – Junior forwards Foster Langsdorf and Corey Baird combined for three goals and two assists and No. 9 Stanford moved one step closer to another Pac-12 title with Thursday's 3-0 win over Oregon State.
The Cardinal (10-2-4, 7-0-1 Pac-12) made it a two-team race with the victory, eliminating No. 22 San Diego State (8-3-4, 3-2-2 Pac-12) from the league championship chase. No. 16 Washington (11-4-0, 4-2-0 Pac-12), which won in overtime at California earlier Thursday evening, is the only one that can catch Stanford. The Huskies visit The Farm Sunday on the Pac-12 Networks and a win or draw for the home team will earn Stanford its third consecutive Pac-12 crown.
The partnership that has blossomed between Langsdorf and Baird was on full display against the Beavers (4-7-3, 0-4-2 Pac-12). Baird fed his classmate in the 24th minute following a takeaway near midfield and Langsdorf put it home with his left boot to give Stanford an early lead.
Langsdorf returned the favor in the 51st, working to dispossess Oregon State's Sam Tweeton at the endline. His effort paid off, brought the keeper out and left Baird wide open at the spot in front of an empty goal. Baird coolly slotted his third of the season at the left post to cap the Cardinal's fourth three-goal effort in its first eight conference matches.
"He brings an unbelievable work ethic, an incredible engine and an incredible mindset to desperately trying to influence the game," Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn said of Langsdorf. "He's continuously developed much better touch and decision making and as a striker he's become clinical in front of goal. He's been striking the ball really cleanly for a couple of years now, but the more confidence he gets, the more mature he gets, the more he gets to show it game after game."
In the past five, including three games with ranked opponents, Langsdorf and Baird have combined for five goals, seven assists and 17 of Stanford's 40 points.
Foster Langsdorf scores his 10th goal of the season to put @StanfordMSoccer up 1-0!
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 28, 2016
LIVE: https://t.co/YfMNDWtSGWhttps://t.co/iXqCigbnOk
Derek Waldeck was the other Cardinal to snag a point on the night, serving up a flawless free kick to Langsdorf's head in the 29th for Stanford's second of the night.
The brace was Langsdorf's third of the season and launched him into the conference lead with 11 goals. It's the first time since 2000-01 that Stanford has had players post 10+ goal campaigns in back-to-back seasons. Jordan Morris led Stanford with 13 scores a season ago.
Baird, who was second nationally in assists last season but didn't have any in Stanford's first 11 matches now has six in the past five and 23 in his career, good for seventh in program history.
"Every game is a separate entity," Gunn added. "You have to go out and do your best to execute your jobs and tonight we did that well. Yet again we kept good attacking players quiet and limited their opportunities. Conversely we created some wonderful chances and played some great soccer. It's one of those evenings where everyone can feel happy that they did their jobs and the team played well as a whole."
Stanford is averaging 2.00 goals per conference game and is surrendering just 0.50. The Cardinal, unbeaten in its last nine conference matches dating back to last season is 20-2-6 (.821) in league action since 2014.
Thursday's win also extended Stanford's unbeaten streak at home to 21. The Cardinal is 26-1-8 in its last 35 matches at Cagan Stadium.