No. 1 Stanford (1-0-0)
No. 23 Creighton (1-1-0) | Fri. • 7 p.m. (PT)
Northeastern (0-1-0) | Sun. • 5 p.m.
Laird Q. Cagan Stadium • Stanford, Calif.
Tickets • Creighton | Northeastern
Television • Pac-12 Bay Area (Fri.) | Live Stream (Sun.)
Live Statistics • GoStanford.com
Complete Release (PDF)
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LOOKING AHEAD » No. 1 Stanford (1-0-0) opens its home schedule this weekend with matches against No. 23 Creighton (1-1-0) and Northeastern (0-1-0) at Cagan Stadium. Pac-12 Bay Area will carry Friday's contest against the Bluejays at 7 p.m. with Troy Clardy and Christopher Sullivan on the call. Sunday's date with the Huskies begins and 5 p.m. and will be broadcast via a GoStanford.com live stream with Tim Swartz in the booth.
CARDINAL KIDS DAY & COMMEMORATIVE CHAMPIONSHIP SHIRT » Stanford's home opener against Creighton on Friday is Cardinal Kids Day and fans can receive up to two free youth tickets with the purchase of a paid adult ticket. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will also receive a t-shirt celebrating the program's back-to-back national championships. To secure the promotion, fans can visit this link. A full promotional schedule for 2017 can be found by visiting gostanford.com/msocpromotions.
STANFORD-CREIGHTON SERIES » Stanford is 2-4-0 all-time against Creighton in a series that began in 1995. The No. 20 Cardinal lost in Omaha, 2-0, in the teams' last meeting, the first game of 2014. Ricky Lopez-Espin (11') and Fabian Herbers (53') had the goals for the the 'Jays in what was the first start of former Cardinal keeper Andrew Epstein's career. Creighton also won 1-0 at the Stanford Nike Classic on Sept. 19, 2008, 4-0 at home on Aug. 31, 1996 and 2-1 in a tournament at Wake Forest on Sept. 8, 1995. The Cardinal defeated Creighton in the semifinals of the 2002 College Cup, 2-1, on a Chad Marshall header in the 107th minute to go to its second College Cup Final (1998). Stanford also notched a victory against the Bluejays at another Stanford Nike Classic, 2-0, on Oct. 4, 1998.
STANFORD-NORTHEASTERN SERIES » The Cardinal beat Northeastern in the teams' only other meeting, 1-0, at Cagan Stadium on Sept. 4, 2015 on a Slater Meehan goal in the 38th minute. The win was the second in an eight-match winning streak and 15-match unbeaten streak that highlighted Stanford's regular season before its first national championship.
2016 REWIND » Stanford became the sixth program to win back-to-back national championships and the first to do it in a dozen years when it beat Wake Forest in penalties of the College Cup final following a scoreless 110 minutes. The Demon Deacons had match point in the fifth round of penalty kicks, but Andrew Epstein's fifth-round save prolonged the shootout. Stanford's redshirt junior keeper lunged to his left to stop Hayden Partain's championship-winning attempt and swing momentum back to the Cardinal. Sam Werner next put Stanford ahead, 5-4, with a shot up the middle, and Epstein followed with the save of his life, diving to his right to block the try of Wake's Brad Dunwell and secure back-to-back NCAA crowns for the Cardinal.
CARDINAL QUICK HITTERS »
- Stanford is one of six programs to win back-to-back national championships and was the first to do it in a dozen years. The Cardinal joined Indiana, Virginia, San Francisco, Saint Louis and Michigan State as the only collegiate soccer programs to win two consecutive championships.
- This season the Cardinal will attempt to become just the second program to win three straight NCAA titles (Virginia; 1991-94).
- Stanford on the 2016 title without allowing a goal throughout the entire tournament, becoming just the third program to ever do that (Wisconsin – 1995, San Francisco 1976).
- The Cardinal has an active shutout streak of 638:29 and has not allowed a goal in six consecutive matches
- Stanford is the only school to return multiple 2016 All-Americans in 2017 (Hilliard-Arce/Langsdorf).
- The Cardinal returns nine of its 11 starters from a year ago, all of its goals scored and 91.7% of its assists (33-of-36).
- Stanford has also won Pac-12 titles each of the past three seasons, its first conference three-peat since it won four straight University and Club Soccer League championships from 1919-23.
FIRST TIME OUT » The Cardinal won its first season opener since 2012 with Friday's 4-0 victory at San Jose State. Sam Werner had a pair of assists, Foster Langsdorf collected his fourth career brace and Stanford had its highest output in its first game of the season since a 5-0 thumping of Sacramento State in 2002.
AGAINST RANKED » Stanford is 20-14-6 all-time against ranked opponents under Jeremy Gunn, including 13-2-4 in its last 19. The Cardinal is 8-6-4 at home against ranked opponents since 2012.
DEFENSE WINS » Stanford has an active shutout streak of 638:29 and has not allowed a goal in six consecutive matches dating back to last season, its longest stretch since 2000. Trevor Long of Cal was the last person to score on the Cardinal when he did so at 55:01 of last year's regular-season finale in Berkeley. Stanford's postseason shutout streak is at seven consecutive matches, an NCAA record, and 732:17 of match time.
CONSENSUS NO. 1 » Stanford tops every major national poll - United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer, Soccer America and College Soccer News - after the first week of the season. The Cardinal was also the pick in the Pac-12 when the conference announced its preseason coaches poll. Stanford tallied 24 points and four first-place votes and was followed by UCLA, Washington, San Diego State, Oregon State and California.
WATCH LISTS » All-Americans Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Foster Langsdorf are two of 31 players on the 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The Cardinal is the only school in the country with multiple players recognized. Stanford also placed a league-best four on the All-Pac-12 preseason team in seniors Corey Baird, Hilliard-Arce, Langsdorf and Drew Skundrich. Hilliard-Arce was also voted to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI first team, Langsdorf the second team, Skundrich the third team and Logan Panchot the freshman team. Stanford's four preseason honorees are tied with Virginia for the national lead.
GREAT UNDER GUNN » One of four coaches to win NCAA titles in both Division I and Division II, head coach Jeremy Gunn's teams are 66-23-16 (.705) in his five-plus seasons on The Farm. He owns a career record of 253-84-47 (.720) in 18-plus seasons, a mark which makes him the third winningest active coach at the Division I level (by percentage). With Stanford's 2016 NCAA title Gunn became the seventh coach in Division I history to win back-to-back national championships along with Jerry Yeagley, Bruce Arena, Steve Negoesco, Harry Keough, Gene Kenney and Bob Guelker.
THREE SEASONS OF SUCCESS » The nation's most successful collegiate soccer program over the past three seasons, Stanford is 47-8-11 and leads the nation in winning percentage since 2014 (.795), has won back-to-back national championships and three consecutive Pac-12 titles.
CONFINES OF CAGAN » Stanford went 9-1-2 at home in 2016, 19th in the country in percentage (.833) and tied for fifth in wins. The Cardinal has posted a 27-2-6 (.857) record at home over the past three seasons with a goals against average of 0.52.
SENIORS UP TOP » Forward Foster Langsdorf scored a career-high 15 goals for the Cardinal in 2016, tied for eighth in program history and the most for a Cardinal since Willie Guicci had 22 in 1981. The management science and engineering major finished fourth nationally in total goals, 10th in goals per game (0.65) and led the country in game-winning goals (8). Corey Baird led the Cardinal with six assists last season and his 24 in 66 career games rank seventh in Stanford history.
SOME OF STANFORD'S BEST » Stanford's senior forward tandem is among some of the school's all-time greats. Corey Baird's 24 career assists are seventh in the Cardinal record books and four shy of a three-way tie for fourth along with Todd Dunivant (1999-2002), Giancarlo Ferruzzi (1982-85) and Jorge Titinger (1980-83). His assist total is also tied for third among all active players, one behind Rider's Jose Aguinaga and West Virginia's Joey Piatczyc. Langsdorf's 25 goals are four short of Stanford's career top 10 and with 56 points he is nine shy of breaking into the top 10 of that category as well. He is tied for 12th among active players in goals and 14th in points.
WHAT'S BACK, WHAT'S NOT » Unlike last season, when Stanford was forced to replace nearly have of its lineup, nine of 11 starters return in 2017, including two All-Americans, three all-region performers and five All-Pac-12 players. Goalkeeper Andrew Epstein, who finished his superb career with a 46-8-11 record and a NCAA-record 0.34 postseason goals against average, graduated from Stanford with his degree in electrical engineering and is readying to begin work in Benin with the Peace Corps. Brian Nana-Sinkam became the Cardinal's eighth first-round selection when he was chosen with the 22nd overall pick by the Seattle Sounders in January's MLS SuperDraft and is currently playing with Sounders FC2.
ALL-AMERICANS RETURN » Thirteen schools return at least one All-American in 2017, but Stanford is the only team in the country returning multiple in Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Foster Langsdorf. Since their arrival on campus in 2014, Stanford is the winningest program in the country by percentage with an overall record of 47-8-11 (.795) and has won back-to-back national championships and three consecutive Pac-12 titles.
TOP CLASS » Along with its 13 retuning letterwinners, the Cardinal welcomes the nation's consensus No. 1 recruiting class as freshmen this fall, including four of the nation's top 20 players according to Top Drawer Soccer. Logan Panchot, Charlie Wehan, Arda Bulut and Carson Vom Steeg all made their debuts in Stanford's opener at San Jose State. Panchot earned the start at right back while Adam Mosharrafa, who played in that spot last season, slid over to occupy Brian Nana-Sinkam's old position at center back alonside Tomas Hilliard-Arce.
FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME » For the first time since 2013, someone other than Andrew Epstein is between the pipes for the Cardinal. Redshirt senior Nico Corti has taken over for Stanford's All-American keeper and recorded his first shutout in his first start at San Jose State last Friday. Entering this season, Corti hadn't allowed a goal in 76 career minutes. He was a part of seven shutouts as a substitue from 2014-16.
TREE-PEAT » Stanford finished its regular season 11-3-4 overall and 8-1-1 in league action last season, setting a school record for Pac-12 wins. Its 2016 conference title sits on the mantle alongside championships from 2015, 2014 and 2001 and the Cardinal is the second Pac-12 school to win three in a row. UCLA won four consecutive conference crowns from 2002-05. Stanford's Pac-12 record during its three-year run of dominance is 21-3-6.
IT'S HOW YOU FINISH » Stanford, which started its 2016 season 0-1-3, averaged 0.75 goals and gave up 0.83 per game in those four matches, finished the year 15-2-2 in its last 19, averaging 1.84 goals per game and with a goals against average of 0.53. On the year, Stanford was 39th nationally in scoring offense (1.65 goals per game) and fourth in team goals against average (0.56).
SCORE TWICE AND WIN » Stanford has scored two or more goals in 54 of Jeremy Gunn's 105 matches as Stanford's head coach and is 48-0-6 in those games. The Cardinal hasn't lost when scoring at least two goals since Nov. 11, 2010, when it fell 3-2 at Cal.