SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2025
#1 STANFORD CARDINAL (12-1-1) vs. SMU MUSTANGS (7-3-3)
Cagan Stadium | Stanford, Calif.
MATCH NOTES » A matchup between two NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, No. 1 Stanford and SMU are set for the 12th meeting of a series that dates back to the 1989 season. The Cardinal leads the series with a 6-3-2 record, including a 3-1-1 mark under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. Sunday will mark the second time the two programs have met as conference opponents, previously battling to an exciting 2-2 draw in Dallas last season in a match that saw three goals in the final 20 minutes. A win over SMU on Sunday would break the program record for longest home win streak at 10 games and secure the program’s first perfect regular season at Cagan Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT » Another strong defensive display and a second half game-winner from Shane De Flores lifted Stanford to a 1-0 victory over Bay Area foe San Francisco, extending the Cardinal win streak to six games. Stanford’s fourth consecutive shutout also tied the program record for longest home win streak, winning each of the last nine at Cagan Stadium. Stanford created numerous chances throughout the match, but finally broke through in the 66th minute after Will Cleary drove down the right wing and found De Flores at the front post for the easy tap in. The Cardinal defense fended off any final San Francisco chances the rest of the way, securing the rivalry win.
HISTORICAL WIN AT HOME » A dominant defensive showing and two second-half goals from Palmer Bank and Trevor Islam pushed the top-ranked Cardinal to a 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday evening. The win moved the Cardinal to 8-0-0 at Cagan Stadium this season, marking the best home start to a season in program history. A nearly flawless performance from the back line, Stanford held Pittsburgh to just one attack and kept the Panthers away from the corner flag through 90 minutes. It was the first time the Cardinal had held an opponent to just one shot since Feb. 15, 2021, in a 5-0 win over San Francisco. In addition to his 75th-minute goal, Islam added an assist in the match, extending a streak in which a Cardinal player has recorded both a goal and an assist in a match to five games, with Islam tallying two such performances during that stretch.
STRING OF SHUTOUTS » Stanford’s recent defensive dominance has produced four consecutive clean sheets in victories over Boston College, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, the program’s longest shutout streak since the 2017 national championship squad held nine straight opponents scoreless. While the Stanford offense has established a +8 goal differential during the four-game stretch, the Cardinal backline has been just as strong, holding opposing offenses to 20 total shots and just five attacks on frame.
COMEBACK CARDINAL » Stanford’s resilience has been a defining trait of the 2025 squad, as the Cardinal are 2-1-1 in contests in which they are trailing in the 80th minute. Two of those goals have come in the final 60 seconds of a match, with Tomo Allen netting a 90th-minute game winner against Oregon State and Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas headed home an equalizer with 36 seconds left to salvage a 2-2 draw against San Jose State. Perhaps Stanford’s most impressive comeback came against Syracuse, where Trevor Islam and Fletcher Bank scored goals in the final ten minutes to overcome a late deficit against the Orange. The Cardinal is no stranger to late-game heroics, as Duncan Jarvie and Dylan Hooper each scored game-winners beyond the 80th minute last season.
UNPRECEDENTED OFFENSE » Through 14 games, Stanford has posted its best offensive numbers of Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn’s tenure, averaging 2.29 goals per game and 18.8 shots per game, both on pace to be the highest marks of the Gunn era. That offensive success has translated to the national level, as Stanford ranks 15th nationally in both scoring offense and total goals (31).
THE POWER OF TWO » The Cardinal have been virtually unbeatable under Jeremy Gunn when scoring multiple goals in a game, holding a record of 126-2-16 (.932) under Gunn in such matches. This season, the Cardinal are 10-0-1 in games with multiple goals, with the lone non-victory a 2-2 draw at San Jose State. Stanford’s last loss while scoring at least twice came on April 10, 2021, a 3-2 road defeat at Oregon State.
SPREADING THE WEALTH » Stanford has had a balanced approach on offense this season, with 11 different goal scorers and 14 total Cardinal contributing to the scoresheet. Trevor Islam leads the Cardinal with six goals, followed by Zach Bohane with five goals and Fletcher Bank and Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas with four scores each. Joshua Partal has been Stanford’s leading distributor with six assists. Stanford finished last season with 20 players recording at least one point, including seven who scored multiple goals and 14 with multiple points. Bohane paced last year’s group with 13 points, followed by Shane De Flores (11) and Jackson Kiil (10).
TEAM STATISTICAL SUCCESS » Stanford has outpaced its opponents in every statistical category so far this season, holding an advantage in goals (31-12), shots (242-89), shots on goal (91-35), shots per game (18.6-6.8), assists (24-10), and corner kicks (90-42). The Cardinal also held the statistical edge in each major offensive category throughout 2024.
NATIONAL NUMBER ONE » For the third consecutive week, Stanford sits at the top of the United Soccer Coaches national rankings, extending its second stint as the top-ranked program in the NCAA. Reaching the top of the national polls in three-straight seasons, the Cardinal is the only program to hold the No. 1 national ranking for consecutive weeks this season. Stanford’s 2025 squad houses veteran core that finished 9-5-6 last season and has reached at least the third round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons, along with a freshman contingent that has provided key contributions and an added element of depth to a Cardinal program aiming to make another deep postseason run.
STORYBOOK SEASON » After joining the program as a walk-on last season, sophomore midfielder Trevor Islam has enjoyed a breakout campaign as the Cardinal’s leading scorer through 13 games. Islam’s latest highlight came in a one goal, one assist performance on October 11 to lift Stanford to a 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh. An ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week earlier in the campaign, Islam leads the team with career-highs goals (6) and points (15), along with new personal bests in game-winning goals (2), shots (24), and shots on goal (15).
TEAM PLAYER » Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas has embraced a new role this season, becoming a fixture of the Stanford backline after spending the first three years of his career as a striker. Starting each game at center back so far this season, Tenconi-Gradillas and the Cardinal defense have earned two clean sheets and limited opposing offenses to just 7.3 shots per game. The position shift has not limited Tenconi-Gradillas’ offensive production, as the senior sits tied for third on the team in goals (4), recording a pair of braces against Saint Mary’s and San Jose State.
HELPING HAND » Freshman Joshua Partal has quickly established himself as a pivotal presence in the Cardinal midfield with a team-leading six assists so far this season, making an impact on the Stanford offense both from set pieces and in the run of play. Named to the TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week on Sept. 23, Partal’s six helpers through 13 games have already eclipsed Stanford’s assist leader from last season, Will Reilly.
ALL EYES ON BOHANE » The always reliable senior captain Zach Bohane has continued to be a leader in the Cardinal attack in 2025, recording 13 points with five goals and three assists on the year, leading the Cardinal in shots (48), shots on goal (19) and game-winning goals (3). No stranger to the national spotlight, Bohane was also named to the MAC Hermann Midseason Watch List, which highlights the nation’s top contenders for the highest honor in collegiate soccer. A former First Team All-ACC honoree and a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America selection, Bohane has been Stanford’s most prolific scoring threat throughout his career with 19 goals and 19 assists during his time on The Farm.
FRESH FACES » Stanford’s newcomer class as a whole has made a substantial impact on the Cardinal’s success, with four freshmen finding the scoresheet this season. Jack Pymm leads the group with three goals, while Tomo Allen (2) and Jude Stone (1) also added scores. Meanwhile, Joshua Partal paces the entire team with six assists. This marks the first time since 2022 that three freshmen have scored in the same season, when Fletcher Bank, Liam Doyle, and Zach Bohane all tallied. Allen, Partal, and Pymm also cracked the starting lineup in a 3-1 win over Saint Mary’s on Sept. 9, which was the first time three freshmen have started together since Bank, Doyle, and Will Cleary did so against the Gaels on Oct. 15, 2022.
TOPDRAWERSOCCER MIDSEASON TOP 100 » TopDrawerSoccer released its midseason lists this week, with four Cardinal players earning national recognition. Zach Bohane was Stanford’s lone representative in the Midseason Top 100, climbing five spots from the preseason list to No. 12 in the player rankings. Three Stanford freshmen were included in the Midseason Freshmen Top 100, led by midfielder Jack Pymm at No. 4, followed by Joshua Partal at No. 10 and Tomo Allen at No. 98.
HOME SWEET HOME » Cagan Stadium has proven to be one of the toughest places to play in the country for Cardinal opponents, as Stanford boasts a 326-128-74 (.684) record on The Farm dating back to the 1973 season, including a 102-23-28 record (.748) under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. Stanford’s win over Boston College led to Coach Gunn becoming the first Stanford coach in program history to hit the century mark on home soil, and the Cardinal has gone on to a 9-0-0 record on home turf this season, its best start at Cagan Stadium in program history. Last season, the Cardinal went 6-3-4 on home turf, outscoring opponents 24-13.
A PERFECT PRESEASON » The Cardinal kicked off 2025 with an undefeated preseason, posting exhibition wins over San Francisco, Cal State Bakersfield, and Cal Poly at Cagan Stadium. Stanford outscored its opponents 5-1 across the three matches, with 25 Cardinal getting valuable minutes before the regular season gets underway. Shane De Flores led Stanford with three preseason goals, while Zach Bohane and freshman Jude Stone also found the back of the net.
RETURNING CARDINAL » The Cardinal brings back eight veterans who made 15+ starts for the program last season, including leading scorers Zach Bohane and Shane De Flores, as well as third-year netminder Rowan Schnebly. Other key returners include Fletcher Bank, Palmer Bank, Will Cleary, Dylan Groeneveld, and Dylan Hooper, while Alex Chow and Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas are also expected to play major roles after making 19+ appearances a season ago.
PRESEASON RECOGNITION » TopDrawerSoccer named Zach Bohane to the Preseason Best XI Second Team, giving the midfielder his second consecutive preseason nod by the outlet. Bohane was also listed at No. 17 in the TDS 2025 Preseason Men’s College Top 100 Players list, joining goalkeeper Rowan Schnebly, who was ranked No. 77.
FUTURE OF THE FARM » Stanford’s loaded freshman class was lauded as the highest-ranked recruiting class in the ACC and the No. 2 rated recruiting class nationally by TopDrawerSoccer. The 2025 recruiting class includes No. 36 Victor Fung (D), No. 48 Tomo Allen (F), No. 52 Jack Pymm (M), No. 123 Jude Stone (M), No. 162 Brayden Montague (GK), Brad Bennett (M), Dillon Logan (F), Joshua Partal (M), and Aidan Reilly (D). The group represents the Cardinal’s highest-ranked recruiting class since 2019.
2024 REVISITED » Stanford remained among the nation’s elite in 2024, finishing 9-5-6 to secure the program’s 22nd all-time postseason appearance and the 11th NCAA Tournament berth in Jeremy Gunn’s 13 seasons at the helm. After a blazing 7-1 start to the year, the Cardinal climbed to a No. 1 national ranking for the second-straight year. Despite a string of draws and close losses to end the regular season, the team’s defining moment came in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, when Dylan Hooper scored from beyond midfield to seal a dramatic 3-2, buzzer-beating win over Notre Dame. Earning the No. 16 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Stanford prevailed over UC Santa Barbara with a 6-5 win in penalties to advance to the NCAA third round, before falling victim to the other side of penalty kicks in a scoreless draw at top-seeded Ohio State to end the 2024 campaign.
ACADEMIC WEAPONS » Stanford got it done both on the pitch and in the classroom in 2024, honored by the United Soccer Coaches with the 2024-25 College Team Academic Award. The Cardinal boasted a 3.74 grade point average, the highest GPA among Division-I award winners. Additionally, 15 student-athletes were named All-ACC Academic Team selections in 2024, with Noah Adnan, Fletcher Bank, Palmer Bank, Zach Bohane, Alex Chow, Liam Doyle, Dylan Groeneveld, Dylan Hooper, Dylan Jarvie, Jackson Kiil, Kwabena Kwakwa, Will Reilly, Rowan Schnebly, Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas, and Nik White all recognized by the conference.
GREAT UNDER GUNN » One of four coaches to win NCAA titles in both Division I and Division II, head coach Jeremy Gunn has led Stanford to the College Cup final four times since 2015. He and Virginia’s Bruce Arena (1991-94) are the only coaches to win three consecutive NCAA men’s soccer championships. His teams are 170-53-53 (.712) in his 13 seasons on The Farm and he owns a career record of 357-114-84 (.719) in 27 seasons, a mark which makes him the ninth-winningest active coach at the Division I level (by percentage). Gunn’s 357 victories rank 12th among active D-I head coaches by win total.
NEW CARDINAL COACHES » Two new members of the Cardinal coaching staff enter the fold for 2025, as Drew Hutchins and Woo Jeon join the sideline this upcoming season. Hutchins, a 2014 Stanford graduate, arrives on The Farm after spending one season as an assistant coach for NC State. During his time in Raleigh, Hutchins helped guide the Wolfpack to a 10-5-5 record and an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance. Hutchins makes his return to Stanford after a four-year playing career from 2010-2013, where he started every game his final two seasons. Jeon is set to serve as assistant coach for the Cardinal after a two-year stint with Cal Poly. Most recently serving as associate head coach for the Mustangs, Cal Poly made two Big West championship appearances and earned the program’s first Big West regular season title in 2024 during Jeon’s two years in San Luis Obispo.
HOME OF CHAMPIONS » Stanford is the all-time leader with 137 NCAA team championships (70 men, 67 women), and 173 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 49 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. The Cardinal has also produced 565 NCAA individual champions and 658 overall. Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 31 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019.
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE » Stanford is one of just two programs in the NCAA to win three consecutive national championships (2015-17). Virginia won four in a row from 1991-94. It is also one of seven to win at least three national championships along with Saint Louis (10), Indiana (8), Virginia (7), San Francisco (4), UCLA (4) and Maryland (4). Stanford went 52-7-10 (.826) during its three-year championship run
POSTSEASON REGULARS » Stanford’s 2024 NCAA tournament bid marked the Cardinal’s 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament in the last 12 seasons and its 22nd NCAA tournament appearance overall. The Cardinal has made seven College Cups, most recently in 2019, along with five College Cup Finals and three NCAA Championships (2015-17).