HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - No. 16 Stanford extended its postseason run by taking down No. 1 Marshall 3-0 in convincing fashion. The win pushed Stanford's record to 11-3-5 on the season, including an undefeated record on the road (4-0-4).
The 3-0 result against the Thundering Herd was the largest margin of victory against a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since seeding began in 1994. The Cardinal now has advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round for the first time since 2019.
"I'm just so proud of the team today," said the Knowles Family Director of Men's Soccer Jeremy Gunn. "I think it was a really complete performance."
The Cardinal came into the game confident and composed, unfazed by the Thundering Herd. Through possession, strong defending, and clinical finishing, Stanford dismantled its opponent.
"Marshall has some great soccer players and they are such a scoring threat," added Gunn. "I thought defensively, we were absolutely rock-solid."
Stanford netted the opener in the 16th minute through a well-crafted chance from Ryan Dunn to Noah Adnan and finally Jackson Kiil for the score. Dunn's ball found Adnan's foot in the box for a perfect flick for Kiil to fire it home.
Kiil's goal proved to be the difference through the first 45 minutes with Stanford holding a 1-0 advantage as the teams entered the locker rooms at halftime.
"The way we defended was incredible and then we picked them off," explained Gunn. "We had a game plan on how we were going to score goals and the players did exactly that."
Coming out of the break, it was more solid defending and threatening offensive possessions for the Cardinal. In the 61st minute, Will Reilly tallied the second goal of the game to double the lead.
Ball control and passing skill was on full display in the build-up to the score, highlighted by a remarkable back-heel pass from Shane de Flores to a wide open Will Reilly in the box. Reilly laced the ball cleanly, pinpointing the bottom corner of the goal out of reach of the diving keeper.
"Incredible credit to all the boys who were on the pitch today," said Gunn. "I thought we were absolutely magnificent."
With two goals and less than 30 minutes to play, the pressure was on for Marshall to answer, but Stanford's defense responded each time.
In the 81st minute, Liam Doyle netted the third goal which ultimately put the game away. Will Cleary and Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas set up the ball for Doyle to slot home.
"We were clinical with the goal scoring and obviously that's what wins games," said Gunn. "Possession can sometimes mean something and sometimes it means nothing. We were happy if their center backs were passing the ball and we knew we'd always be able to pick them off in certain moments."
Stanford made the most of its opportunities, firing in 10 shots in total including three on target, all of which resulted in a goal. Marshall recorded 11 of their own including two on goal, but the Stanford defense was equal to both on target attempts.
Rowan Schnebly played all 90 minutes in goal, recording the seventh shutout of the season for Stanford and its first shutout against a No. 1 team since the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in 2017 when the Cardinal blanked No. 1 Wake Forest 2-0.
The Cardinal will learn its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal opponent later tonight and will travel to face either New Hampshire or Clemson on the road.
