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Brian Westerholt/Sports on Film
Men's Soccer

Familiar Territory

Stanford (17-2-2)
vs. Akron (18-3-2) | Fri. • 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET
Talen Energy Stadium • Philadelphia, Pa.
Stream • ESPNU/WatchESPN
Live Statistics •NCAA.com
Complete Release (PDF)
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LOOKING AHEAD » In the College Cup for the third consecutive season and sixth time overall, two-time defending NCAA champion and No. 9 seed Stanford (17-2-2) heads to Philadelphia for a national semifinal against fifth-seeded Akron (18-3-2) at Talen Energy Stadium on Friday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. ET. Glenn Davis and Kate Markgraf will have the call on ESPNU and the match will also be carried on WatchESPN.
 
MEETING AGAIN » The Cardinal and Zips have met once before in an NCAA semifinal in 2015 when Andrew Epstein saved the 10th Akron penalty kick to enable Stanford to advance to the College Cup final in Kansas City. After a scoreless draw, Stanford beat Akron, 8-7, on penalties with Corey Baird converting the decisive kick. Epstein was spectacular, saving two in PK's. He also got a fortunate carom when Akron hit the post in the seventh round that would have given the Zips the victory. This was after Epstein made a huge save in overtime and punched away a dangerous free kick in the final seconds of regulation. Stanford fell behind immediately in PK's, when Drew Skundrich missed wide on the first kick. However, Epstein's first save evened things up 3-3. For Stanford, Brandon Vincent, Mark Verso, Jordan Morris, Eric Verso, Adam Mosharrafa, Brian Nana-Sinkam and Sam Werner made their kicks before Baird's final shot. Epstein then made the decisive save off Akron sophomore Nate Shultz.
 
AGAINST AKRON » Stanford is 0-2-1 all-time against the Zips, including 0-1-1 in the NCAA Tournament. Before that 2015 semifinal, Akron won a third-round match at home on Nov. 29, 2009, 2-0, behind goals from Teal Burnbury (29') and Anthony Amaipitakwong (37'). The first Stanford/Akron match came on Oct. 2, 1994, a 4-3 win for the Zips at the Reebok/Cardinal Classic on The Farm.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY » The Cardinal is 25-12-6 all-time in the NCAA tournament - 14-2-4 at home, 7-7-0 on the road and 4-3-2 at the College Cup. Its stretch of five consecutive postseason berths is the second longest in Stanford history behind a six-year run from 1997 to 2002. Stanford, one of six programs to win back-to-back national championships, is attempting to become just the second program to win three straight NCAA titles (Virginia; 1991-94).

SEMIFINAL HISTORY » The Cardinal is one of four teams remaining for the third consecutive season and sixth time overall (2016, 2015, 2002, 2001, 1998). Stanford is 2-1-2 all-time in the semifinals, beating Creighton in 2002 (2-1) on a Chad Marshall header and Maryland in 1998 (1-0) on a Lee Morrison goal. Stanford has played to scoreless draws in its last to semifinal appearances. In addition to Akron in 2015, the Cardinal prevailed in penalties over North Carolina a year ago, 10-9. The Cardinal's four-overtime loss to North Carolina in 2001 is its only semifinal defeat.
 
POSTSEASON STREAKS » Stanford hasn't lost an NCAA tournament match in over 1,100 days. Its last postseason defeat came at home in the second round on Nov. 23, 2014 to UC Irvine in overtime, 1-0. The Cardinal won 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). Stanford owns an active postseason shutout streak of 10 consecutive matches, an NCAA record, and 1,022:17 of match time. It last surrendered an NCAA tournament goal in the quarterfinals at Wake Forest on Dec. 5, 2015, an Ian Harkes penalty in the 70th minute. Stanford hasn't conceded a goal during the run of play in the tournament in the last 1,120:34, since Ohio State's Abdi Mohamed headed one home at 61:41 in a third-round match on Nov. 29, 2015.
 
SWEEP? » The Stanford women's soccer program won its second national championship on Sunday, Dec. 3, beating UCLA in Orlando, 3-2. No school has ever won both men's and women's soccer national championships in the same season. The Cardinal swept the Pac-12's soccer championships for the third consecutive year. Before 2015 one school hadn't won both since 2008 (UCLA).
 
HOME OF CHAMPIONS » The women's championship was the 114th NCAA title in Stanford history and briefly pushed the school ahead of UCLA in the all-time title chase. It was the first time since 1964 Stanford had been atop the list of total NCAA championships, but it was short-lived. UCLA men's water polo beat USC later Sunday evening, 7-5, for the Bruins' 114th NCAA crown and put the two schools back into a tie for first. Stanford owns an active 42-year stretch with at least one NCAA team championship dating back to 1976-77.
 
MORE CHAMPIONSHIP FODDER »

  • Men's soccer is attempting to become the first Stanford program to win three consecutive NCAA championships since women's cross country in 2005-07. Five total Stanford programs have accomplished the feat: women's tennis (1986-91 and 2004-06), women's swimming and diving (1992-96), men's tennis (1988-90 and 1995-98), men's swimming and diving (1985-87 and 1992-94) and women's cross country (2005-07).
  • In terms of active streaks, Texas men's swimming and diving and Virginia men's tennis are the only Division I programs to have won the last three consecutive NCAA championships in their sports.
  • Jeremy Gunn is attempting to become the 14th Stanford head coach to win at least three NCAA championships: Dick Gould - men's tennis - 17; Frank Brennan - women's tennis - 10; Dante Dettamanti - men's water polo - 8; Lele Forood - women's tennis - 8; Skip Kenney - men's swimming and diving - 7; Richard Quick - women's swimming and diving - 7; John Tanner - women's water polo - 6; Eddie Twiggs - men's golf - 5; Don Shaw - women's volleyball - 4; John Dunning - women's volleyball - 3; Sadao Hamada - men's gymnastics - 3; Vin Lananna - men's cross country - 3; Dink Templeton - men's track and field - 3.
  • Among that impressive list, Lele Forood and John Tanner are the only active coaches at Stanford.

PREVAILING IN PENALTIES » Stanford has played three scoreless draws among its last five postseason matches, including both games at the 2016 College Cup, and prevailed in penalties each time. The Cardinal has come out on top in six consecutive postseason shootouts dating back to 2002. Says Jeremy Gunn of penalties: "I don't want to praise it too much because you never know when you're going to take them. It's part of a knockout tournament and we prepare for everything. When you prepare in a deliberate way it makes you better, it builds your confidence and it gives you a better chance. It's as simple as that."

MAKE IT FOUR » Stanford finished its regular season 15-2-1 overall and was unbeaten in conference action for the first time (9-0-1). The Cardinal's 2017 conference title sits on the mantle alongside championships from 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2001. Stanford is the second Pac-12 school to win four in a row. UCLA won the same number of consecutive conference crowns from 2002-05. Jeremy Gunn is the only coach in league history to win more than two consecutive Pac-12 titles as UCLA's four-year run was split evenly between Tom Fitzgerald and Jorge Salcedo.
 
BEEN AWHILE » Stanford's title is the 15th conference championship in program history, but the first four-peat since it won four straight University and Club Soccer League (UCSL) championships from 1919-22. The Cardinal also won UCSL titles in 1915 and 1916, the California Intercollegiate Conference in 1931, the Northern California Intercollegiate Soccer Conference in 1962 and 1963 and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 1997.
 
KING OF THE PAC » The Cardinal's Pac-12 record during its four-year run of dominance is 30-3-7 and its overall record since 2014 is 63-10-13.
 
FOUR SEASONS OF SUCCESS » The nation's most successful collegiate soccer program over the past four seasons, Stanford is 63-10-13 and leads the nation in winning percentage since 2014 (.808). North Carolina (.786; 61-13-10) is second and followed by Wake Forest (.781; 65-15-9), Denver (.750; 57-16-9), Akron (.744; 62-18-10) and Indiana (.741; 54-12-21).
 
HERMANN SEMIFINALISTS » All-Americans Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Foster Langsdorf were two of 15 players named MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists early last week. The Cardinal, the only school that returned multiple All-Americans this season, is one of two with multiple Hermann semifinalists (North Carolina).

ALL-REGION » Stanford placed five on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region Teams for the third consecutive season. Forward Corey Baird, defender Tomas Hilliard-Arce and, forward Foster Langsdorf and midfielder Drew Skundrich were first team selections and goalkeeper Nico Corti earned a spot on the third team. Stanford's four first team performers are a school record, besting the three from 2016, 2015 and 1998. All seniors, this quintet has won a pair of national championships, four Pac-12 titles and is the country's winningest program the past four years with an overall record of 63-10-13 (.808).
 
LEADING THE PAC » It was déjà vu for Stanford as far as the 2017 Pac-12 postseason awards were concerned. For the second consecutive season Foster Langsdorf (player), Tomas Hilliard-Arce (defensive player) and Jeremy Gunn (coach) received the league's highest honors. Langsdorf, who was Co-Pac-12 Player of the Year last season, becomes the first in conference history to win the award twice. The Pac-12's top defensive honor has been dominated by the Cardinal since it was first instituted in 2014 with Brandon Vincent (2014, 2015) and Tomas Hilliard-Arce (2016, 2017) each winning twice. Jeremy Gunn has now won four consecutive Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards, becoming the first in conference history to do so.

ALL-PAC-12 » Stanford landed a school-record tying five players on the All-Pac-12 first team. In addition to Langsdorf and Hilliard-Arce, senior forward Corey Baird, redshirt sophomore defender Tanner Beason and senior midfielder Drew Skundrich gave the Cardinal nearly half of the 11-member squad. It's the third time the Cardinal has boasted five conference first teamers (2000, 2016). Redshirt junior midfielder Sam Werner earned his first conference postseason accolade in being named to the All-Pac-12 second team and redshirt senior goalkeeper Nico Corti also received his first award, receiving All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
 
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 82-25-18 (.728) in his five-plus seasons on The Farm. He owns a career record of 269-86-49 (.726) in 18-plus seasons, a mark which makes him the fourth winningest active coach at the Division I level by percentage. Carlos Somoano of North Carolina is first (.768; 107-25-21), followed by Ray Reid of Connecticut (.745; 433-124-73) and Schellas Hyndman at Grand Canyon (.742; 487-152-53). 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 (Indiana), Bruce Arena (Virginia), Steve Negoesco (San Francisco), Harry Keough (Saint Louis), Gene Kenney (Michigan State) and Bob Guelker (Saint Louis). Bruce Arena is the only other coach to lead a team to three consecutive NCAA men's soccer championships (Virginia; 1991-94).

GUNN AT THE COLLEGE CUP » Head coach Jeremy Gunn is 2-1-3 at the College Cup. In addition to his 2-0-2 mark at Stanford, he led Charlotte to the 2011 event in Hoover, Ala. The 49ers advanced past second-seeded Creighton on penalty kicks (4-1) in one national semifinal before falling to North Carolina, 1-0, in the championship.
 
AGAINST RANKED » Stanford is 25-14-7 all-time against ranked opponents under Jeremy Gunn, including 18-2-5 in its last 25.
 
CONVERTING CHANCES » Stanford, which scored a school-record 26 times in Pac-12 play, has put in three or more in a game nine times this season, the program's most since 2001 (13). The Cardinal has scored 45 goals this season, its most since 2002 (45). Stanford is ninth in the nation in scoring offense (2.14), which would be its best mark since 2001 (2.55).
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE » Defensively, Stanford is second in the nation in both shutout percentage (0.667) and goals against average (0.420). The Cardinal has conceded just nine goals all season and has put together the program's best defensive numbers since 2000. That squad holds school records for fewest goals allowed (10), total shutouts (16) and team goals against average (0.44).

LANGSDORF LEADS » The Pac-12's career scoring leader with 36 goals, Foster Langsdorf is 11th nationally with 13 this season. He is also ninth in the country in total points (32) and sixth in game-winning goals (5). The senior, who was fifth nationally with 15 goals a year ago, is the first Cardinal with back-to-back, double-digit goal campaigns since Jim Talluto in 1990 and 1991 and is also the country's second-leading goal scorer the past two seasons with 28. Central Arkansas' Niklas Brodacki is two ahead with 30 since the start of the 2016 season. Langsdorf is sixth in school history in career goals and alone in seventh with 84 career points. His career goal total is the most for a Stanford player in 34 years. Jorge Titinger finished his four years with 48 from 1980-83, the second-best mark in school history. Langsdorf has 17 career game-winning goals, including 13 the past two seasons to go along with 12 career assists.
 
BAIRD'S BACK » Paired with Langsdorf up top is Corey Baird, who missed five games earlier this season due to injury. Baird's 29 career assists are fourth in the Cardinal record books, shy of only Roger Levesque (30; 1999-2002), Dan McNevin (42; 1977-79) and Ted Rafalovich (62; 1978-81). His assist total is tied for fourth among active players, behind Wisconsin's Christopher Mueller (35), Rider's Jose Aguinaga (32) and Colgate's Jared Stroud (30).
 
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 12 solo shutouts in 21 games, tied for second in the program's single-season history. He's second nationally in goals against average (0.425) and his shutout total is tied for third in the country. The school record for single-season goals against average is currently held by Robby Fulton from 2002 (0.428). Adam Zapala is the only Stanford keeper with more solo shutouts in a single season. He was responsible for 14 in 1998. Entering the year, Corti hadn't allowed a goal in 76 career minutes. He was a part of seven shutouts as a substitute from 2014-16.

WINNING » Stanford's 17 overall wins are tied for fifth in team history (2002). Stanford won 18 matches in 2015, 2000 and 1998 and a school-record 19 in 2001.
 
STREAKING » The Cardinal hasn't lost since Sept. 23 at Saint Louis, 2-0. Stanford's current 13-match unbeaten streak is the third longest in program history. The Cardinal had a 15-match unbeaten stretch during the 2015 season and went 20 games without a loss across the 1996 and 1997 campaigns.
 
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD » Stanford was honored by United Soccer Coaches on Oct. 5 with the College Team Academic Award for the most recent academic year. The Cardinal posted a cumulative 3.48 GPA during 2016-17, the fourth-best among Division I schools (Denver - 3.58; Memphis - 3.50; Notre Dame - 3.49).
 
SENIOR CLASS FINALISTS » Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Foster Langsdorf were each named to a list of 10 NCAA student-athletes selected as finalists for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes seniors that have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Brandon Vincent and Brian Nana-Sinkam have earned Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-America status the past two years.
 
SCORE TWICE AND WIN » Stanford has scored two or more goals in 65 of Jeremy Gunn's 125 matches as Stanford's head coach and is 59-0-6 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.
 
WHAT'S BACK, WHAT'S NOT » Unlike last season, when Stanford was forced to replace nearly have of its lineup, nine of 11 starters returned 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 an NCAA-record 0.34 postseason goals against average, graduated from Stanford with his degree in electrical engineering and is working with the Peace Corps in Benin. 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.