STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford (5-3, 0-2 ACC) is set to host ACC action for the first time on Varsity Turf this weekend, welcoming the four-time defending national champions North Carolina at 5 p.m. PT and No. 12 Duke on Sunday at 2 p.m. PT. Both games will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra.
LAST TIME OUT » The Cardinal returns home for a three-game East Coast road trip where it went 1-2. Stanford began the week with a 4-0 shutout over non-conference foe Bellarmine before dropping a pair of hard-fought battles against ranked Louisville and Virginia in its ACC debut. Cara Sambeth highlighted the weekend for Stanford, scoring a pair of goals to extend her team lead in goals (5) and points (10).
CARDINAL DOWNS DAVIS » Another dazzling effort from Daisy Ford led Stanford in defeating in-state rival UC Davis via 1-0 shutout. Ford excelled between the posts once again with four saves in the game, while Cara Sambeth netted her third goal of the season on a penalty stroke to give Stanford an insurmountable lead over the Aggies.
HOME OPENING WEEKEND » Stanford enjoyed the best start to a season since 2020 last Thursday, defeating Kent State, 3-1, in the home opener to move to 3-0. Stanford's defense shined with four penalty corner stops and a penalty stroke save, while Nadine Brenninkmeyer, Star Horlock, and Allison Kuzyk accounted for Stanford's trio of goals. The Cardinal would however suffer its first setback of the season on Sept. 8 against Northeastern in a 1-0 shutout. Junior netminder Daisy Ford was a bright spot for Stanford with a season-high six saves
SEASON-OPENING SWEEP » Stanford tallied a pair of road wins to open up the 2024 campaign, notching a 4-1 victory over Ohio in a neutral-site contest and a 5-0 shutout against Ball State. With an offensive outpouring to start the year, Stanford saw seven different goal scorers through the first two games, outshooting opponents 34-11 in that span.
INAUGURAL ACC SEASON » 2024 marks Stanford's first ACC season after competing in the America East conference since 2015. The ACC consists of nine programs - Boston College, California, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, and Wake Forest - seven of which are ranked in the NFHCA preseason poll. The Cardinal slotted in tied-8th in the ACC preseason poll with 15 points.
NEW LOOK CARDINAL » Stanford welcomes seven new additions to the squad ahead of the 2024 campaign, welcoming five incoming freshmen and a pair of impact transfers to The Farm. Head Coach Roz Ellis' third recruiting class on The Farm includes Nadine Brenninkmeyer, Anya Jackson, Hailey King, Jenny O'Grady, and Bea Varley. Alayna Burns and Allison Kuzyk joined the Cardinal via the transfer portal from Duke and Penn, respectively. The incomers join a young but experienced core that Stanford returns 88 percent of its offensive production from a season ago.
KEY RETURNERS » The Cardinal returns all but two members of its roster from a season ago, headlined by All-America East Second Team and All-America East Rookie Team selection Star Horlock. Stanford also welcomes a young but experienced defensive core, with the backline trio of Anna Ghuliani, Puja Nanjappa, and Mia Clark starting in all 15 games a season ago.
STANFORD ADDS KAHN TO STAFF » The Cardinal coaching staff added a huge piece during the 2023 offseason, hiring Maddie Kahn as Assistant Goalkeeping Specialist. A standout athlete during her five years of competition, Kahn arrives on The Farm after stints with North Carolina and Lehigh. Kahn brings championship-level experience to Stanford, leading North Carolina to the national championship last season as the starting goalkeeper. A first-of-its-kind position on the Cardinal staff, Kahn will work closely with Stanford's goalkeepers in her new role to provide individualized coaching and support to help them reach their full potential.
CARDINAL, WHITE, AND BLUE » Over the summer, former Stanford standout Kelsey Bing represented Team USA in Paris as the starting goalkeeper, becoming just the second athlete in program history to be named to an Olympic roster. Bing recorded 23 saves in five games at Stade Yves-du-Manoir, including a five-save shutout in a 1-0 win over South Africa.