STANFORD, Calif. – Four Stanford student-athletes were named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region Teams when the organization announced the first of its postseason awards on Monday.
Center back Tanner Beason, goalkeeper Andrew Thomas and midfielder Derek Waldeck were first-team selections and striker Ousseni Bouda earned a spot on the second team. It's the second all-region honor for both Beason and Thomas, who were also on the first team a year ago. It's the first such accolade for Waldeck, a senior, and Bouda, a freshman.
The quartet has led the Cardinal to its fourth College Cup appearance in five seasons. Stanford will face Georgetown at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Friday in the first national semifinal at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
After starting the first 76 matches of his career, Beason missed his first game at Stanford on Oct. 6 against Oregon State following a second-half injury sustained against Washington three days prior. He missed the next eight games before returning to the starting lineup in the regular-season finale against Cal. Beason, a first-team All-American last season, became the first person on conference history to sweep both Pac-12 Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018.
One of 15 MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalists, Beason is third on the team in goals (5) and fifth in points (11) in just 13 matches played this year.
Last Thursday, Thomas was named to the Academic All-America® Division I second team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He will be the only academic All-American on the field in Cary this weekend.
Thomas is 11th in the country in goals against average (0.664) and 16th in solo shutouts (8). In two years as a starter, he has already put together 19 clean sheets, good for fourth in school history. His 0.839 career save percentage leads all active players and his 0.644 career goals against average is second.
An engineering physics major with a 3.98 GPA, Thomas made two saves in Friday night's penalty shootout at Clemson, which Stanford won 5-4 to advance to its seventh College Cup. Stanford advanced past Seattle U at home in the second round on penalties, 2-1, when Thomas stopped four RedHawk attempts. Of 11 postseason penalty kicks for Cardinal opponents, each one has been on frame and Thomas has saved six.
Waldeck is having a career year with personal bests in goals (4), assists (8) and points (16) in his final season in a Stanford uniform. His 22 career assists are currently tied for eighth in program history with Walter Kingson (1980-83) and are tied for seventh among all active NCAA players. Waldeck has assisted or scored on Stanford's three goals in the past two rounds against Clemson and Virginia Tech.
This season's Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Bouda has burst onto the scene with five goals and five assists. He is the third Cardinal to receive recognition as the conference's top newcomer, joining Aaron Kovar (2012) and Bobby Warshaw (2007), and is the only freshman on the three All-Far West Region teams.
NCAA Division I All-America teams will be announced on the night of Thursday, Dec. 12.
