Andrea Kitahata, Mia BhutaAndrea Kitahata, Mia Bhuta
Lyndsay Radnedge/ISIPhotos
Women's Soccer

All-ACC College Cup Begins Friday

Stanford will continue its pursuit of a fourth national title when it travels to Cary, N.C. for the NCAA Women’s College Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park

Game Coverage

MATCH NOTABLES

Stanford and Wake Forest will meet for the second time this season after Wake Forest defeated the Cardinal 1-0 in ACC play on September 19 ... the two teams have never met in the NCAA Tournament ... Stanford is winless against Wake Forest in four all-time contests - the only opponent of at least three matches to record an undefeated record against the Cardinal ... the two previous neutral matches were played at the Santa Clara Adidas Classic

QUICK PASSES

  • Stanford, ranked No. 2 in the nation to start the year, entered the postseason ranked No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 15 according to TopDrawerSoccer ... was No. 13 in the RPI headed into the NCAA Tournament selection show and was awarded a No. 3 seed ... spent three consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll starting on September 2 after reaching the College Cup Final and closing the season ranked second in the nation a year ago ... the top ranking was the first for Stanford since finishing the 2019 season as the national champion
  • The Cardinal's loss to Florida State in the 2023 national championship match snapped a string of 36 consecutive unbeaten matches (30-0-6), and Stanford is now unbeaten in 54 of its last 59 (46-5-8)
  • The Cardinal has won two of the last seven College Cups - most recently capturing the title in 2019
  • Stanford is making its 12th appearance in the College Cup, including its second in as many years ... made its sixth appearance in the College Cup Final last year ... is 3-3 in national championship matches
  • Stanford owns a 120-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season, but had an unbeaten streak of 34 straight home matches (32-0-2) snapped on October 10 vs. No. 1 Duke ... that 4-1 loss to Duke was the largest margin of defeat at home since a 3-0 loss to North Carolina on October 1, 1995
  • Stanford has posted a shutout in 12 of its 22 matches on the season and has managed a clean sheet in 32 of its last 55 contests overall ... .545 shutout percentage ranks third in the ACC and 22nd in the nation ... is 10-2-0 in matches decided by one goal this season, including having posted seven 1-0 shutouts
  • The Cardinal went 4-0-0 and outscored opponents 8-1 in the month of August, 6-1-1 while holding a 10-3 goal advantage in September, 3-3-0 while being outscored 11-7 in October, and 3-0-1 while posting a 10-2 scoring advantage in November
  • Jasmine Aikey was named All-ACC second team ... ACC co-Defensive Player of the Week on September 17 ... was a preseason All-ACC selection and earned a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List ... TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team and tabbed the No. 3 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list before ranking No. 24 on the Midseason Top 100
  • Lizzie Boamah was tabbed the No. 93 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list
  • Mia Bhuta was named All-ACC second team ... tabbed the No. 82 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list
  • Haley Craig made two saves and converted a PK in Stanford's 4-2 penalty shootout victory at No. 5 Arkansas on November 24 ... has compiled 11 shutouts this season, including a clean sheet in 10 of the last 19 ... 11 shutouts rank first in the ACC and sixth in the nation ... owns a .768 goals against average
  • Elise Evans was named All-ACC third team ... preseason All-ACC selection and earned a spot on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List ... TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team and tabbed the No. 10 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list before ranking No. 19 on the Midseason Top 100 ... started the first three matches of the year before missing the next seven while helping guide the United States to a bronze medal at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia ... was named to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Region first team, All-America third team and All-Pac-12 second team
  • Shae Harvey has contributed a pair of goals this postseason ... scored the game-winner in the 82nd minute to defeat No. 2 North Carolina on October 13 ... earned a spot on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Best XI second team and was tabbed the No. 12 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list before ranking No. 87 on the Midseason Top 100 ... had a string of consecutive starts to begin her career snapped at 35 on September 26 vs. Miami, but has started 43 of a possible 47 matches in her career ... named to the 2023 All-Pac-12 third team and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team ... was selected TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, College Soccer News All-Freshmen second team and Women's College Cup All-Tournament a year ago
  • Joelle Jung was tabbed the No. 72 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list ... was named to the 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman team and TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI second team ... contributed four game-winning goals to rank second in the Pac-12 last season
  • Andrea Kitahata has scored in three of her last five matches, including a goal and an assist in the 2-0 quarterfinal win over Notre Dame on November 29 ... has contributed a pair of goals and an assist this postseason ... had a string of five consecutive matches with a goal snapped vs. USC on September 8, but has contributed at least one point in 11 of her last 21 ... that run began with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 victory over UC Irvine on August 18 ... was the first Cardinal to score in five consecutive matches since Catarina Macario tallied at least one goal in five straight from September 22 to October 13, 2019 ... tabbed the No. 47 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 players list ... has totaled a team-best 24 points on the year
  • Eleanor Klinger was named to ACC All-Freshman Team ... has an assist in three of the last nine matches ... earned a spot on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Best XI Freshman Team ... got the start in her collegiate debut vs. San Francisco as the lone freshman to crack the starting XI ... tabbed the No. 37 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list
  • Charlotte Kohler contributed the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout at San Francisco to open the season and one more to defeat SMU on the road October 5 ... has posted a point in seven of her first 22 career matches, including contributing two assists vs. Washington State on September 1 ... managed a goal and an assist in her first NCAA Tournament match vs. UCSB on November 15 and has scored two goals with one assist through her first four tournament matches ... tabbed the No. 9 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list
  • Allie Montoya had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 comeback victory over UConn in the NCAA Tournament second round on November 22

NOW AND LATER

  • Stanford will continue its pursuit of a fourth national title when it travels to Cary, N.C. for the NCAA Women’s College Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park
  • The Cardinal will meet No. 3 Wake Forest in a national semifinal on Friday, December 6 at 2 p.m. PT
  • The match - the first postseason meeting between the teams - will air live on ESPNU with Jenn Hildreth, Lori Lindsey and Marion Crowder on the call
  • The winner of the Stanford-Wake Forest match will advance to the Women's College Cup final to face the winner of No. 1 seed Duke (18-2-1) and No. 2 seed North Carolina (20-5-0)
  • The national championship match will take place at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, December 9, and will also broadcast live on ESPNU

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

  • The Cardinal is making its 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 26th in the last 27 seasons
  • The Cardinal has compiled a 73-24-9 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play
  • Stanford opened the NCAA Tournament at home for the 23rd time in program history ... hosted the first round in 13 straight seasons from 2007-19 ... is a perfect 22-0-0 in first-round matches played at home (received a first-round bye in 1999)
  • Including this season, Stanford has reached the second round in 26 of the 33 appearances, has earned a berth in the NCAA third round in 15 of the past 19 seasons, has reached the NCAA quarterfinal round for the second straight year and the 12th time since 2008, and has advanced to the College Cup for the second consecutive season and 11th time in the last 17 seasons
  • Stanford has appeared in 12 College Cups, including five straight from 2008-12, with its three national championships coming in 2011, 2017 and 2019
  • In addition to the three national titles, Stanford has also been the national runner-up three times (2009, 2010, 2023)
  • 11 of the 12 College Cup appearances have come since 2008
  • Stanford is 58-4-5 all-time in postseason games hosted on The Farm, and has won 18 straight (last loss: 1-0 (2OT) vs. Santa Clara on November 18, 2016) ... is 46-1-2 over the last 49 postseason home games dating back to 2008
  • The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 62-14-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament in 21 of his 22 seasons
  • Stanford earned the No. 1 overall seed in four straight tournaments from 2016-19
  • In a season in which Stanford set a program record with 102 goals, it was the Cardinal's grit, determination and mental toughness that ultimately secured the program's third national championship on Dec. 8, 2019 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif. ... after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, top-seeded Stanford defeated No. 2 North Carolina 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout with Kiki Pickett scoring the deciding penalty kick and Katie Meyer making a pair of saves in the shootout
  • Stanford captured its second national championship on Dec. 3, 2017 with a 3-2 win over UCLA ... Kyra Carusa and Andi Sullivan opened the scoring for the Cardinal and, after the Bruins fought back with two goals to tie the match at 2-2, Jaye Boissiere’s stunning left-footed strike in the 67th minute put Stanford on top for good
  • After qualifying for the College Cup for the fourth-straight season, Stanford broke through in 2011 with its first national championship in program history ... Teresa Noyola’s header in the 53rd minute was the only goal of the match as goalkeeper Emily Oliver and the Cardinal shut down the Blue Devils for 90 minutes

STANFORD VS. THE FIELD

  • Stanford compiled a 3-4-0 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament field during the regular season this season, including a 1-2 mark against College Cup participants ... has since recorded a victory over Notre Dame to avenge an earlier loss this season
  • The Cardinal had regular-season wins over No. 1 seed USC (2-1), No. 2 seed North Carolina (1-0) and Santa Clara (1-0)
  • Stanford dropped regular-season matches to No. 1 seed Duke (4-1), No. 2 seed Wake Forest (1-0), No. 4 seed Notre Dame (3-0) and California (3-2)

TOURNAMENT TESTED

CARDINAL ENTERED THE POSTSEASON WELL-RESTED

  • Stanford's first-round match vs. UCSB on November 15 was just the second for Stanford since October 21 - a span of 26 days
  • The Cardinal played at No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday, October 20, had a bye week the next week, hosted California on Thursday, October 31, and then missed the ACC Championship Tournament

ALL-CONFERENCE HAUL

  • Following the conclusion of their first regular season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, four Stanford women’s soccer players earned spots on All-ACC teams
  • The list was highlighted by second-team selections in junior Jasmine Aikey and sophomore Mia Bhuta
  • Junior Elise Evans landed on the third team, while freshman Eleanor Klinger earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team
  • The All-ACC teams are voted on by the league’s 17 head coaches

LAST TIME OUT

  • Hosting ACC-foe Notre Dame on November 29 in the NCAA quarterfinal round, Stanford defeated the Fighting Irish 2-0 from Cagan Stadium to punch its ticket to a second consecutive College Cup
  • Stanford managed to avenge an earlier 3-0 loss at the hands of Notre Dame on October 20 in South Bend, Ind
  • The Fighting Irish nearly got on the board first in the 16th minute as Izzy Engle juggled a ball in the box and fired a left-footed shot on frame toward the back corner of the net ... junior Elise Evans was positioned perfectly, clearing the ball off the line to keep the match scoreless
  • Stanford managed to break the stalemate in the 25th minute as Andrea Kitahata worked off the wing and cut a ball back toward goal, sending her cross into the box where it found the head of Shae Harvey ... Harvey flicked her shot on, finding the goal for the game-winner and her fifth goal of the year
  • Leading 1-0 after halftime, Stanford added an insurance goal in the 50th minute as it cashed in on its lone corner kick opportunity of the day ... Mia Bhuta sent an inswinging ball toward the near post where Kitahata rose and headed it home for her team-best ninth tally of the year
  • For Kitahata, the match marked the fourth time in her career that she has posted a goal and an assist in a single contest – including the second time this season after scoring one and assisting on one against California on October 31
  • Senior goalkeeper Haley Craig pitched the shutout, making four saves as the Irish held a 17-13 advantage in shots ... for Craig, the shutout was her 11th of the season ... that mark currently places tied for eighth in Stanford’s single-season record book ... the clean sheet was also her second of the postseason after Stanford blanked UCSB 5-0 to open the NCAA run on November 15

ACC DANCING

  • Nine ACC programs earned bids to join the 64-team field for the 2024 NCAA Division I Championship, including No. 1 seeds Duke and Florida State, No. 2 seeds North Carolina and Wake Forest, No. 3 seed Stanford, No. 4 seeds Notre Dame and Virginia, No. 7 seed Virginia Tech and California
  • All nine teams were still competing in the tournament entering the second round, six reached the Sweet 16 and all six advanced to the Elite Eight - Stanford, Duke, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Notre Dame
  • For the first time in the history of the College Cup, all four teams are from the same conference, as Stanford, Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina have reached Cary, N.C.
  • Since 2019, 47 ACC teams have earned bids into the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, the most among all conferences - the next closest conference has earned 43 bids
  • Including this season, ACC membership will have played in every College Cup with a combined 89 appearances and 32 national championships
  • Seven of the 17 ACC teams entered the 2024 season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, including Florida State (No. 1), Stanford (No. 2), Clemson (No. 5), Pitt (No. 7) and North Carolina (No. 8) all landing in the top 10 ... Notre Dame (No. 15) and Duke (No. 24) also held national rankings to begin the year
  • Including the seven to start the year, the ACC has seen 12 of its teams crack the United Soccer Coaches poll this year, as California, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have also spent time in the top 25

LATE WINNERS

  • The Cardinal has managed four game-winners in the 80th minute or later this year, beginning with freshman Charlotte Kohler's strike in the 80th to hand the Cardinal a 1-0 victory in the season opener at San Francisco on August 15
  • Shae Harvey scored in the 82nd minute to defeat then-No. 2 North Carolina on October 13 before Lumi Kostmayer volleyed her shot home with two seconds to spare one match later - a 1-0 victory at Louisville on October 17
  • Most recently, Stanford trailed 1-0 headed into the 86th minute of a second-round NCAA Tournament match vs. UConn on November 22 before scoring twice in the final five minutes to earn the 2-1 victory ... Shae Harvey equalized in the 86th minute before Allie Montoya contributed the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining in the match

THE CARDINAL HAS REACHED THE PINNACLE

  • Stanford women's soccer was named one of nine collegiate programs recognized as recipients of the United Soccer Coaches Team Pinnacle Award for the 2023-24 academic year
  • Stanford returned to the list after being selected last year, while three teams—Frostburg State University women, Hardin-Simmons University women and Westminster College (Pa.) women—earned the award for the third time
  • In its fourth year, the Team Pinnacle Award honors teams that have achieved a high level of fair play, educational excellence, and success on the pitch
  • To be considered for the award, teams must have received either the Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze version of the High School or College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award; achieved recognition in the classroom as a recipient of the High School or College Team Academic Award; and recorded a winning percentage of .750 or higher during the respective season

RING, RING...THE NATIONAL TEAM IS CALLING

  • Freshman goalkeeper Kaiya Jota was selected to train with England's U19 squad as the team went 2-0 the Algarve Cup in Portugal in October
  • England defeated the Netherlands 3-1 on Friday, October 25 before blanking Norway 2-0 on Monday, October 28
  • The fixtures were important preparation for the Young Lionesses as they gear up for round one of qualification for next summer’s 2025 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, which is taking place in Poland in June ... the first qualification phase will also be staged in Poland in November, with the WU19s set to face the hosts Poland, Italy and Turkey
  • Jota was born in the United States to a Filipino father and an English mother, making her eligible to play for England, Philippines or the United States at international level
  • She previously represented the Philippine Senior National Team at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia

A LEADER AMONG LEADERS

  • Senior Nya Harrison was recognized as a recipient of the 2024 ACC UNITE Award, which was created to honor individuals affiliated with the league’s member institutions who have made an impact in the areas of racial and social justice
  • The UNITE Award, announced as part of the ACC’s 2024 Fall Unity Week from October 11-20, is an initiative of the ACC’s UNITE Committee (formerly named CORE - Champions of Racial Equity) and was developed and approved by its 18 member institutions
  • Harrison embodies the ideals of the ACC UNITE Award through her courageous leadership and stunning athletic achievements ... in addition to her accomplishments on the field, Harrison has built up the Cardinal BLCK club, where she serves as president, to 50 student-athletes ... the club creates community-building initiatives, executes alumni events, supports Black mental health, holds voter registration events, and has collaborated with Stanford Black Community Services Center to connect student-athletes to the broader campus community ... Harrison is also a Voice in Sport Advocate and led 2022 Capital Hill Day to pitch expanding Title IX during her trip to Washington, D.C. ... Harrison is a part of the Empowerment Collective as well, having served as campaign manager for CA Bill 610 where she organized coalition meetings, strategized bill language, and provided educational presentations on CA Bill 610 to various stakeholders and communities to garner support

HOME SWEET HOME

  • Stanford owns a 120-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season
  • Stanford's 1-1 draw with Washington on October 14, 2023 ended a string of 21 straight wins at home – a stretch that dated back to October 3, 2021 … the Cardinal would stretch it's unbeaten streak to 34 straight matches (32-0-2) before No. 1 Duke snapped the string with a 4-1 victory on October 10, 2024
  • The Cardinal went 7-2-1 this year at home and outscored the opposition 20-9
  • Stanford went 13-0-1 at Cagan Stadium in 2023 and outscored the opposition 36-5
  • Taking into account this year, the Cardinal has managed unbeaten home slates in six of the last 11 seasons
  • Stanford went 11-0 in 2022 and outscored its opponents 39-4 at Cagan Stadium
  • Including a 3-0 victory over UC Irvine this season, Stanford is unbeaten in its last 36 home openers (35-0-1) dating back to 1989 ... lone tie came vs. Portland in 2013
  • The Cardinal is outscoring opponents 123-14 with 25 shutouts over those 36 home openers
  • Stanford owns a 36-4-1 record overall in home openers in program history (since 1984)
  • Stanford had a 43-match unbeaten streak at home snapped during the 2020-21 season with a 1-0 loss to Cal on March 20 ... went 42-0-1 over the span, which began at the beginning of the 2017 season ... played to a 1-1 draw vs. then-No. 7 Santa Clara on September 16, 2018 for the only tie over the 43-match string

LOCK DOWN DEFENSE EARNS AIKEY WEEKLY HONOR

  • Junior Jasmine Aikey was named ACC co-Defensive Player of the Week on September 17 following Stanford's 1-0 victory at then-No. 11 Santa Clara
  • Lauren Hargrove (Virginia Tech) was also co-Defensive Player of the Week, while Wake Forest's Caiya Hanks nabbed Offensive Player of the Week
  • Aikey played all 90 minutes at center back as Stanford earned the shutout over the Broncos to complete a perfect 8-0 run through the nonconference slate

MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST

  • Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans were among the 44 players named to the 2024 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List at the start of the season
  • Both players were listed on the watch list a year ago as sophomores, and Aikey would eventually be selected as a semifinalist for the award
  • The Hermann Trophy, the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer, has been presented annually since 1967 by the Missouri Athletic Club and recognizes the National Player of the Year as determined by voting of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches
  • The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the legendary St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League, the first pro soccer league in the United States which became the North American Soccer League
  • A total of 15 players will be named 2024 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on December 4 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-American voting ... from that list, head coaches will cast votes, and three players will be named finalists ... the 2024 recipient will be announced January 3, 2025, in a ceremony at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis, Mo.
  • A Cardinal player has claimed three of the last seven MAC Hermann trophies, with Andi Sullivan earning the award in 2017, followed by Catarina Macario becoming a back-to-back winner in 2018 and 2019 ... Kelley O'Hara was the first Stanford player to win the MAC Hermann Trophy at the conclusion of the 2009 season ... O'Hara was followed by Christen Press (2010) and Teresa Noyola (2011) to bring Stanford's total to six winners
  • Florida State’s Onyi Echegini earned the honor in 2023 after guiding the Seminoles past Stanford in the national championship match

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING

  • So far this season, Stanford has scored five goals in the first 10 minutes of a match and has added eight more within the first 10 minutes of the second-half kickoff - accounting for 13 of its 35 goals on the season
  • The Cardinal has scored 15 goals in the first half and 20 in the second half of matches this year
  • Seven of Stanford's last 32 goals have come within six minutes of either the start of the match or second-half kickoff

SPREADING THE WEALTH

MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT

  • Making her collegiate debut as a reserve, freshman Charlotte Kohler scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over San Francisco in Stanford's season opener
  • The native of Woodside, Calif. has started 21 of the first 22 matches in her collegiate career, has scored five goals and assisted on four more, and has totaled a point in seven of the 22, including contributing a pair of assists vs. Washington State on September 1
  • Kohler managed a goal and an assist in her first NCAA Tournament match vs. UCSB on November 15 and has scored two goals with one assist through her first four tournament matches
  • Including Kohler, six Cardinal players made their collegiate debuts in match one, with Eleanor Klinger earning the start in the midfield ... including Kohler (21) and Klinger (12), six freshmen have earned starts this year as Lizzie Boamah (10), Ella Emri (7), Jaden Thomas (6) and Sophie Murdock have also cracked the Starting XI
  • Freshmen Boamah, Thomas, Sammy Smith and Emri all registered minutes against the Dons for the first time alongside Kohler and Klinger
  • Thomas notched her first career goal in the second match of the season - a 3-0 shutout victory over UC Irvine, while Klinger scored her first for the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over USC on September 8
  • Moving up from defender to forward to start the second half at then-No. 11 Santa Clara on September 15, Boamah netted her first career goal - the game-winner - in the 55th minute to hand Stanford a 1-0 victory over the Broncos
  • Freshman Mia Crisera made her collegiate debut against the Anteaters, while sophomore Alyssa Savig also logged her first career minutes in goal
  • Freshman Sophie Murdock made her collegiate debut vs. Washington State on September 1 and earned her first career start in the NCAA quarterfinal match vs. Notre Dame on November 29

EVANS BRINGS HOME BRONZE FROM U-20 WORLD CUP

  • Junior Elise Evans helped guide the United States Under-20 Women's Youth National Team to a bronze medal at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia from August 31 through September 22
  • The USA finished the World Cup with a 4W-2L-1D record and concluded the two-year U-20 cycle at 13W-4L-3D ... the USA opened the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup on September 1 with a 1-0 setback to Spain, defeated Morocco 2-0 on September 4 and advanced through the group stage following a 7-0 victory over Paraguay on September 7 ... defeated Mexico 3-2 in extra time on September 11 to advance to the quarterfinal round against Germany where it erased a 2-0 deficit with goals in the 98th and 99th minutes and eventually won a penalty shootout ... the U.S. dropped a 1-0 decision to Korea DPR in a semifinal on September 18, but rebounded to defeat Netherlands on Saturday, September 21 by a score of 2-1 in overtime to earn bronze
  • The dramatic, overtime triumph in the bronze-medal match lifted the Americans to their best finish in the past five World Cups, dating back to their third and most recent title in 2012 ... tt was USA’s second success in the bronze medal game, last taking third in 2004 in Thailand
  • The USA roster was composed of eight professional players currently in the National Women’s Soccer League, 12 college players and one player still in youth soccer
  • The lone player still in high school to make the World Cup roster was 5-11 goalkeeper Caroline Birkel, who plays for St. Louis Scott Gallagher
  • Including Evans, 10 of the 20 players who helped the USA qualify for this World Cup in the spring of 2023 at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship made the World Cup roster ... joining Evans from that group were: Goalkeepers Teagan Wy and Mackenzie Gress, defenders Gisele Thompson, Leah Klenke and Savy King, midfielder Ally Lemos, and forwards Maddie Dahlien, Ally Sentnor and Jordynn Dudley
  • For the first time ever, and in its 11th installment, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup featured 24 nations
  • The 24 teams that competed in the tournament were host Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela and Argentina from South America, France, Spain, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands from Europe, the USA, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica from Concacaf, Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria and Ghana from Africa, Australia, Korea Republic, Japan and Korea DPR from Asia and New Zealand and Fiji from Oceania
  • Redshirt junior Andrea Kitahata also has experience playing in a U-20 FIFA World Cup, representing the U.S. in 2022 in Costa Rica

AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!

  • Stanford named a trio of players team captains ahead of the 2024 season - junior Elise Evans, redshirt junior Andrea Kitahata and senior Kellie Pagador
  • All three, voted in by the team, are first-year captains on The Farm

TOP PLAYERS PLAY ON THE FARM

  • Stanford boasted five players on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 Players list and four on the Preseason Best XI teams
  • Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans both landed on the Preseason Best XI first team, while Shae Harvey earned a spot on the second team following a standout freshman campaign
  • Eleanor Klinger, who was committed to Stanford and was expected to sign and join the Cardinal for the 2025 season, reclassified and enrolled on The Farm for the 2024 campaign ... now a member of the current freshman class, Klinger was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI freshman team
  • Stanford was the only program in the nation to feature three players in the Top 15 of the TDS Top 100 player rankings
  • Aikey led the pack of Cardinal players, checking in at No. 3 on the list, followed by Evans (No. 10) and Harvey (No. 12) in the first 15
  • Sophomore Joelle Jung was listed at No. 72 and fellow sophomore Mia Bhuta landed at No. 82 headed into the 2024 season
  • The Cardinal’s five players in the Top 100 were tied with Florida State and UCLA for the most of any program in the nation

SUCCESS UNDER RATCLIFFE

  • This fall marks the 22nd season under the direction of Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe
  • Ratcliffe is Stanford's all-time winningest soccer coach with a 392-71-41 record in his tenure on The Farm
  • Ratcliffe has guided Stanford to three national championships, six NCAA finals, 10 conference titles, 11 College Cup appearances, a berth in the NCAA third round in 15 of the past 19 seasons, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament in 21 of his 22 seasons

CARDINAL TABBED SECOND IN INAUGURAL ACC CAMPAIGN

  • Preparing for its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Stanford was picked to finish second in the conference according to the league’s coaches
  • The Cardinal, ranked No. 2 in the nation entering the year, trailed only top-ranked Florida State in the poll and earned two first-place votes
  • Florida State earned 15 first-place votes to top the preseason poll at 255 points
  • The Cardinal followed with 235 points, ahead of Notre Dame (211), North Carolina (187) and Clemson (186) to round out the top five
  • Seven of the 17 ACC teams entered the 2024 season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, including Florida State (No. 1), Stanford (No. 2), Clemson (No. 5), Pitt (No. 7) and North Carolina (No. 8) all landing in the top 10 ... Notre Dame (No. 15) and Duke (No. 24) also held national rankings to begin the year

PRESEASON ALL-ACC

  • In addition to the preseason poll, the ACC coaches also voted on a preseason All-ACC Team
  • Juniors Jasmine Aikey (midfielder) and Elise Evans (defender) earned spots on the 12-member squad
  • Aikey was named 2023 Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year during a spectacular sophomore season that saw her finish as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy and a finalist for the Honda Award ... she also earned her first All-America selection, claiming first-team honors, after scoring 11 goals to rank second on the team and assisting on a team-best 12 more to collect a team-high 34 points ... the native of Palo Alto, Calif. finished the season ranked first in the Pac-12 in assists (12) and points (34), second in game-winning goals (4), and third in total goals (11)
  • Evans earned United Soccer Coaches All-America third-team honors while landing on the All-Region first team ... a staple of the Cardinal backline through two seasons on The Farm, Evans helped guide Stanford to 14 shutouts while limiting opponents to just .60 goals per game on 9.60 shots per game a year ago ... on the attack, she scored two goals, including the game-winner vs. No. 18 Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament third round ... the native of Redwood City, Calif. played 70+ minutes in 23 of her 25 matches played, including full time in 21 of the 25

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

  • The Cardinal was 8-0 to start this season for the first time since opening 2009 at 25-0
  • Stanford was 20-0-4 through 24 matches in 2023 and was unbeaten through 24 to start a season for the fourth time in the previous 15 seasons dating back to 2009 (first since starting 23-0-1 in 2011 en route to winning the national title)
  • The undefeated regular season (15-0-4) was Stanford's first since 2018 – a year it went 21-1-2 with the lone loss coming in the semifinals to Florida State
  • With a 1-0 shutout victory at San Francisco to start this season, Stanford now owns an 18-match unbeaten streak in season openers (17-0-1) dating back to 2007 ... Stanford has posted 10 shutouts over the 18-match streak
  • The Cardinal has won 14 straight season openers ... played to a 1-1 draw at Boston College to start the 2010 season
  • Stanford last dropped a season opener in 2006 - a 2-1 defeat at Utah
  • Stanford is 35-4-2 all time in season openers - including 19-2-1 under Paul Ratcliffe

GATORADE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

  • A trio of first-year Cardinal players were named their respective state Gatorade Players of the Year at the conclusion of their high school careers
  • Charlotte Kohler (California), Sammy Smith (Idaho) and Jaden Thomas (Texas) each earned the selections for the 2023-24 school year
  • Kohler and Smith are both two-time Gatorade Players of the Year after being lauded as juniors following the 2022-23 season
  • The trio joins junior Elise Evans as Gatorade Players of the Year on the 2024 Stanford women’s soccer roster after Evans earned the award for California while playing at Woodside High School during the 2021-22 season.

CARDINAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

  • Tierna Davidson, Naomi Girma and Sophia Smith won gold playing with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics
  • While 2024 marked the first Olympic gold for the trio, the Olympic medal was the second of Davidson’s career after helping the U.S. to a bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2020
  • Jane Campbell, an alternate with Team USA in 2024, also earned bronze playing alongside Davidson in Tokyo
  • Catarina Macario (United States) and Ali Riley (New Zealand) were also selected for the Games, but withdrew due to injury
  • Riley was set to play in her fifth Olympic Games with New Zealand, while Macario previously joined Davidson and Campbell in winning bronze in Tokyo
  • One of the top defenders in the world, Girma played every minute of the Olympics for the United States at center back, helping the U.S. post four clean sheets in the six matches
  • Proving herself a weapon on the attack for the United States, Smith scored three goals and added two assists ... she was directly involved in a goal in four of the USA’s six matches at the 2024 Olympics
  • Davidson missed the group stage final and the quarterfinal match in Olympic play, but returned to the starting lineup and the U.S. backline for the semifinal and gold-medal matches – a pair of 1-0 victories over Germany and Brazil
  • With three more added to the list, Stanford women’s soccer has now had seven former players win gold with the U.S. in Olympic competition – compiling 10 gold medals in total
  • Julie Foudy, who was on the broadcast call for the final against Brazil, was the first to capture gold, doing so in 1996 and then again in 2004 ... Nicole Barnhart and Rachel Buehler teamed for gold in 2008 before being joined by Kelley O’Hara on the 2012 gold-medal squad
  • Prior to guiding the United States to the top of the podium, Davidson, Girma and Smith led Stanford to national championships while on The Farm ... furthermore, each player ultimately became the No. 1 overall pick in their respective NWSL draft classes ... Davidson was a member of the 2017 national champions before being selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 NWSL draft ... Smith and Girma were both sophomores on the 2019 national championship squad before going No. 1 overall in 2020 and 2022, respectively
  • In addition to the 2024 Paris Games, seven former Cardinal represented their countries in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
  • The Farm produced five players for Team USA, including Alana Cook, Girma, Kelley O'Hara, Smith and Andi Sullivan ... all but O'Hara (fourth World Cup) were making their inaugural appearance in the World Cup
  • Kyra Carusa made her World Cup debut with Ireland, while Riley captained New Zealand - earning the country's first World Cup victory ... for Riley, the 2023 World Cup was her fifth with The Ford Football Ferns
  • Stanford's five U.S. World Cup members were the most of any program in the nation, followed by North Carolina and Santa Clara with two

REPRESENTING THE SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

  • 12 former Cardinal have suited up with their respective Senior National Teams in recent years
  • The United States Women's National Team has featured nine former Cardinal - Jane Campbell, Alana Cook, Tierna Davidson, Naomi Girma, Catarina Macario, Kelley O'Hara, Christen Press, Sophia Smith and Andi Sullivan
  • Former Cardinal Ali Riley captains New Zealand, Amy Sayer plays for Team Australia and Kyra Carusa represents Ireland
  • Girma was voted 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year - the second Cardinal selected in as many seasons after Sophia Smith earned the honor in 2022

HOME OF CHAMPIONS

  • Stanford is the all-time leader with 136 NCAA team championships (71 men, 65 women), and 167 national championships overall
  • The Cardinal owns the most recognizable streak in college athletics, having won at least one NCAA team title during each of the last 48 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign
  • The Cardinal has also produced 562 NCAA individual champions and 645 overall
  • Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 30 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019

#OLYMPIANSMADEHERE

  • Stanford concluded the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a school-record 39 medals, shattering its previous best while cementing its reputation on the world’s biggest stage as the nation’s top collegiate program
  • The 39 medals were 12 more than the previous record of 27 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games
  • Stanford’s haul of 39 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 13 bronze) was the most by any school at one Olympics
  • Included in the medal winners were Tierna Davidson, Naomi Girma and Sophie Smith who earned gold for Team USA in women's soccer
  • Cardinal student-athletes medaled in 13 of Stanford's 36 varsity sports: artistic swimming, women’s basketball, women’s fencing, men’s gymnastics, sailing, men’s rowing, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s track and field, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, men’s water polo, women’s water polo
  • The Cardinal boasted 19 first-time medalists - a total that ranks second in school history behind the 21 at the 2008 Beijing Games
  • If Stanford was a country in the 2024 Games, it would have finished tied with Canada for 11th place
  • Boasting a school-record 59 Olympians with Cardinal ties, Stanford won at least 20 medals for the sixth time in school history (2020, 2016, 2008, 1996, 1924)
  • The Cardinal’s 59 Olympians (20 male, 39 female) represented 14 countries across 20 varsity sports
  • In addition to the 59 qualifiers, Stanford’s Olympic representation also included five alternates (including Jane Campbell with the U.S. Women's National Team), one national team head coach and three national team assistant coaches
  • For the third straight Olympics, Stanford totaled more Team USA selections (37) than any other school, reinforcing its status as the preeminent training ground for U.S. national team competition
  • Stanford has won 128 medals combined over the last five Summer Games
  • All told, Stanford’s affiliates have captured 335 overall medals (162 gold, 93 silver, 80 bronze) from 196 medalists, and the Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912