STANFORD, Calif. - The Cardinal completed its best postseason finish since 2019 in the fall of 2023, advancing to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament, including a 3-0 win over No. 1 Tournament seed Marshall in Huntington, W.V.
Stanford began the season with a bang, opening the 2023 slate with two top-20 wins at home. The Cardinal took down No. 8 Creighton 3-1 before downing No. 17 Georgetown during the opening weekend of the season. The victories launched Stanford up in the rankings, ultimately reaching No. 1 in both the United Soccer coaches and Top Drawer Soccer Rankings for both week two and week three of the season.
The Cardinal concluded the regular season with a come from behind 2-1 win over rival California that featured two goal of the season contenders. Dylan Hooper launched an outrageous strike from beyond the halfway line, pinning the top corner of the California goal perfectly to tie the game at one in the 65th minute. Mark Fisher, the captain then fired Stanford into the lead in the 89th minute with a bicycle kick goal.
The win secured Stanford a place in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, its 10th appearance in the last 11 years and its 21st appearance overall. The Cardinal earned the 16th seed, which included a first round bye before a second round matchup at home against Missouri State.
In the first ever meeting between the two teams, Stanford earned a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Zach Bohane, Shane de Flores, and Jackson Kiil. The win earned Stanford a trip to West Virginia to face Marshall in the quarterfinal round.
The Cardinal’s win over Marshall marked the largest margin of victory over a No. 1 seed in tournament history since seeding began in 1994. It also helped Stanford maintain an undefeated record on the road until falling to Clemson 2-0 in the quarterfinal round. Stanford concluded the season at 11-4-5, the joint lead for the most wins in the Pac-12.
16 players registered a point this season, leading the Cardinal to 43 goals and 55 assists through the 20 matches of the season. Zach Bohane led the way with 27 points on eight goals and 11 assists while Shane de Flores was second with 22 points coming from seven goals and eight assists. Bohane’s 27 points were the most for a Cardinal since Foster Langsdorf’s 34 in 2017, and his 11 assists are the most for a Stanford player since 2015 (Corey Baird & Eric Verso - 13).
Stanford had three players ranked nationally in the top-45 in assists per game, led by Zach Bohane at sixth (0.61). Fletcher Bank finished 29th (0.47) while Shane de Flores was 45th (0.42). The three players were also in the top-five in assists per game in the Pac-12, with Bohane leading the conference.
Rowan Schnebly allowed 13 goals in his 15 starts this season, pacing the conference in goals against average (0.88) He also ranked 18th in the nation in goals against average. The redshirt freshman keeper finished 8-3-4 on the season. Schnebly and fellow keeper Jack Morris combined to record seven shutouts on the season, most recently at No. Marshall in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Stanford’s offense was among the best in the nation, averaging 2.89 assists per game for the third-best mark in the NCAA. The Cardinal also ranked third in total assists (55), sixth in total
points (141), seventh in points per game (7.42), ninth in goal differential (+26), ninth in scoring offense (2.26), 10th in total goals (43), and 18th in won-lost-tied percentage (0.711).
Stanford featured starting lineups including eight underclassmen on five occasions this season. Against Creighton, Georgetown, UCLA, San Diego State, Saint Mary’s, and Oregon State, the Cardinal has started only three upperclassmen, Mark Fisher, Noah Adnan, and Will Reilly.
The Cardinal picked up a number of postseason awards, including four All-Far West Region selections. Mark Fisher and Zach Bohane were both named to the first team while Noah Adnan and Shane de Flores were placed on the third team. The four selections were Stanford's most since 2019.
Five players were also named to All-Pac-12 teams. Fletcher Bank and Zach Bohane were named to the first team while Mark Fisher, Noah Adnan, and Shane de Flores were named second team honorees.
Zach Bohane was selected by the Philadelphia Union with the 63rd overall pick (round 3, pick 5), Shane de Flores was taken by the Chicago Fire with the 72nd overall pick (round 3, pick 14), and Fletcher Bank was selected by Toronto FC with the 85th overall pick (round 3, pick 27).
The three players selected in a single draft is the most since 2016 (Brandon Vincent, Eric Verso, Ty Thompson). All three players are returning to The Farm for the 2024 season.
Stanford was strong in the classroom this season as well, claiming multiple awards. Three players were named Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Communicators. Mark Fisher and Will Reilly were named second team selections while Zach Bohane earned a spot on the third team. Fisher was also lauded as a first team Scholar All-America Selection by United Soccer Coaches.