Elise Evans, Shae Harvey, Sophie MurdockElise Evans, Shae Harvey, Sophie Murdock
Jim Shorin/ISI Photos
Women's Soccer

Top-Ranked Cardinal, Cougars Clash Monday in Third Round

Top-seeded Stanford will continue its pursuit of a fourth national title this Monday against BYU in the third round of the NCAA Tournament

Game Coverage

MATCH NOTABLES

Monday's match will be the eighth between the two teams in the NCAA Tournament ... Stanford most recently defeated the Cougars 2-0 in the 2023 College Cup semifinal ... the Cardinal is 4-2-1 all-time in the postseason against BYU ... BYU defeated Stanford 5-4 in PKs in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament ... Stanford is outscoring BYU 28-17 over the 12 overall meetings ... the Cardinal is 6-1-0 in seven all-time meetings on The Farm and is outscoring BYU 22-5 in those matches

QUICK PASSES

  • Stanford won the 2025 ACC regular-season and tournament championships and entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer polls ... is the only program to have reached the College Cup in each of the past two seasons ... was No. 3 in the RPI headed into the NCAA Tournament selection show and was awarded a No. 1 seed ... carrying the No. 1 seed, Stanford is in line to host through the NCAA quarterfinal round with a spot in the College Cup on the line ... prior to being named No. 1 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll of the regular season, held the No. 1 national ranking for two weeks this season (weeks of August 25 and September 1) ... Stanford spent three weeks ranked No. 1 according to United Soccer Coaches last season ... has been ranked in each of the last 45 United Soccer Coaches polls dating back to October 4, 2022 ... has recorded at least 15 wins in each of the last 19 seasons in which it has played 15 matches (played just 12 matches during the 2020-21 season) and has reached 20 wins in 10 of those seasons ... is the winningest program in California since 2010, compiling 300 victories
  • Stanford's 2-0 victory over Boston College on September 25 was No. 400 on The Farm for Paul Ratcliffe, who now carries a 410-73-43 (.820) record at Stanford
  • The Cardinal has scored at least three goals in 15 of the 21 matches this year, has reached the five-goal plateau nine times, and has scored at least six goals five times … totaled a season-best eight goals in the regular-season finale at California - the most for Stanford since scoring 15 against Prairie View A&M on November 15, 2019 ... 84 combined goals over the 21 matches are the second-most through 21 matches in program history (91 in the first 21 of the 2019 season) ... scored more goals this season (38) through nine matches than it did throughout the 2024 season (35 goals in 23 matches)
  • Stanford is averaging a national-best 23.57 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 14 of the 21 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (4.00 goals per game)
  • The Cardinal is 64-7-10 over its last 81 matches and is unbeaten in its last 14 matches (12-0-2)
  • Stanford has conceded just 22 goals so far this season, has posted seven shutouts, and has managed a clean sheet in 39 of its last 77 contests overall … is outscoring its opposition 52-15 over the last 13 matches
  • The Cardinal owns a 132-7-10 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, 2024 vs. No. 1 Duke ... is 12-0-0 at home so far this season and is outscoring opponents 53-8 in those matches
  • Stanford has won two of the last eight College Cups - most recently capturing the title in 2019 ... made its 12th appearance in the College Cup a year ago, including its second in as many years ... has made six appearances in the College Cup Final ... is 3-3 in national championship matches
  • Jasmine Aikey was named All-ACC first team, ACC Championship MVP and ACC All-Tournament ... was on the midseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy ... has been named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on October 14 and October 31 this year ... has contributed at least a point in 17 of the 21 matches this season, has scored in eight of her last 12, and has a goal in 13 of the 21 contests this season ... recorded her fourth multi-goal match of the season and her seventh career multi-goal contest on Friday vs. Alabama ... also managed her eighth career game with at least one goal and an assist ... has scored in four of her last five matches entering the NCAA third round ... scored in three straight from August 24 to September 4 and four straight from September 25 to October 12 ... leads the team in total points with 44 (team-high 17 goals and 10 assists) and has contributed five game-winners ... 17 goals are tied for seventh in a single season in program history, while her 44 points rank eighth … has contributed 39 career goals to rank 10th in Stanford history, while her 106 points also rank 10th ... owns eight postseason goals to rank tied for third in Stanford history with Kelley O’Hara (2006-09), while her eight postseason assists rank second only to Catarina Macario’s 14 from 2017-19 ... was ranked No. 47 on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 Players list and checked in at No. 11 on the Midseason list ... was named a member of the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week on September 30
  • Mia Bhuta was on the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy ... was named TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team and tabbed the No. 6 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list ... started the first 48 of a possible 49 matches in her career and has started 57 of her 60 career matches played
  • Caroline Birkel was named ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, All-ACC first team and All-ACC Freshman team ... has started every match in goal this year ... is the first Stanford true freshman to start in goal since Jane Campbell started 18 matches in 2013 ... was ranked No. 96 on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list
  • Elise Evans was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC first team and ACC All-Tournament ... was on the midseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy ... recorded her first career multi-goal match on Friday vs. Alabama ... was named ACC co-Defensive Player of the Week and a member of the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week on August 19 ... contributed a pair of assists in Stanford's 7-0 victory vs. San Francisco to open the season before adding a goal vs. No. 16 Santa Clara in the second match of the year ... has contributed seven goals this season ... was named TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI second team and tabbed the No. 20 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list before checking in at No. 2 on the Midseason list
  • Lily Freer has played the second-most minutes among Cardinal field players, including full time in 11 matches ... was ranked No. 2 on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list
  • Shae Harvey was named All-ACC second team ... contributed her first career multi-goal match and her second career match with at least one goal and an assist by managing a brace against Virginia Tech on October 9 ... has totaled 15 points in her last 11 matches and contributed a pair of assists  in a 4-0 victory over Syracuse on September 28 ... was ranked No. 61 on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 Players list and checked in at No. 74 on the Midseason list ... has started 65 of a possible 69 career matches
  • Brooke Holden entered as a substitute in the 60th minute vs. San Francisco and went on to score a brace, notching goals in the 82nd and 87th minutes ... is the first Cardinal since at least 2000 to record a brace in her collegiate debut
  • Joelle Jung has a point in eight of her 17 matches played this year ... notched a goal and two assists against Saint Mary's on August 24 to post her first career match with a goal and an assist ... contributed two assists vs. Virginia Tech on October 9
  • Andrea Kitahata was named All-ACC first team ... was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week on October 21 ... contributed at least one point in each of the first six matches this season and has a point in 17 of the 21 matches this year ... has put together two different strings of four straight matches with a goal this year, and has a goal in 10 of the last 16 overall ... has at least a point in seven of her last eight matches entering the NCAA Tournament third round ... ranks second on the team in points with 37 (14 goals and nine assists) ... scored a brace in consecutive matches at Miami (October 19) and vs. SMU (October 25) and has four career multi-goal games ... scored a goal and added two assists at Pitt on September 14 ... has contributed 31 career assists to rank ninth in Stanford history ... was a preseason All-ACC selection and was tabbed the No. 70 player on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 list before checking in at No. 20 on the Midseason list
  • Eleanor Klinger recorded her first career multi-goal match with a brace at No. 6 USC on September 4 ... recorded her first career multi-assist match with two vs. Virginia Tech on October 9 ... has contributed two matches with a goal and an assist this season (at Pitt on September 14 and vs. Syracuse on September 28)
  • Charlotte Kohler was named All-ACC second team ... has scored in three of her last five matches entering the NCAA Tournament third round ... has managed at least a point in 17 of the 21 matches this season, including each of the last 11, and has contributed four game-winners - including the game-winner to defeat No. 1 Virginia and No. 7 Florida State ... converted the clinching PK in Stanford's 5-4 shootout victory over No. 2 Notre Dame to win the ACC Tournament title on November 9 ... including Friday vs. Alabama, has managed three assists in a match twice this year after also contributing three vs. SMU on October 25 … leads the team with 14 assists – the fourth-most in a single season in Stanford history ... had a string of three straight matches with a goal from August 21-28 ... posted her second career multi-goal match on November 6 vs. Virginia – matching her two against Arizona on August 28 of this season
  • Allie Montoya scored in each of Stanford's first four matches, and has contributed at least one point in 10 of her 15 matches played this season ... has scored eight goals and added five assists to manage 21 points
  • Y-Lan Nguyen was named All-ACC Freshman team ... was ranked No. 77 on TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen list

NOW AND LATER

  • Top-seeded Stanford will continue its pursuit of a fourth national title this Monday against BYU in the third round of the NCAA Tournament
  • Kickoff between the Cardinal and Cougars is set for 1 p.m. and Jenna Becerra and Sara Ach will have the broadcast call on ESPN+
  • The winner of the Stanford vs. BYU match will advance to the quarterfinal round to face the winner of No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 3 seed Colorado
  • The 44th annual NCAA Women’s College Cup will be played Dec. 5 and 8 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
  • The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 3 p.m. PT on Friday, Dec. 5, followed by the second semifinal beginning at approximately 5:45 p.m. PT live on ESPNU
  • The national championship match will take place at 4 p.m. PT on Monday, Dec. 8 and will also broadcast live on ESPNU

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

  • The Cardinal is making its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 27th in the last 28 seasons
  • The Cardinal has compiled a 75-25-9 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play
  • Stanford has reached the second round in 27 of the 34 appearances, has earned a berth in the NCAA third round in 16 of the past 20 seasons, has reached the NCAA quarterfinal round in back-to-back years and 12 times since 2008, and has advanced to the College Cup in back-to-back seasons and 11 times in the last 17 campaigns
  • Stanford opened the NCAA Tournament at home for the 24th time in program history ... hosted the first round in 13 straight seasons from 2007-19 ... is a perfect 23-0-0 in first-round matches played at home (received a first-round bye in 1999)
  • Stanford is 60-4-5 all-time in postseason games hosted on The Farm, and has won 20 straight (last loss: 1-0 (2OT) vs. Santa Clara on November 18, 2016) ... is 48-1-2 over the last 51 postseason home games dating back to 2008
  • 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
  • The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 64-15-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament in 22 of his 23 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

ACC DANCING

  • Nine ACC programs earned bids to join the 64-team field for the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship, including No. 1 seeds Stanford, Notre Dame and Virginia, No. 2 seed Duke, No. 3 seed Florida State, No. 6 seed Louisville, No. 7 seed Wake Forest, No. 8 seed Clemson and North Carolina
  • The nine selections match last season's total and tie for the second-most in conference history ... the nine teams also tie for the most among all conferences
  • Five of the nine have advanced to the NCAA Tournament third round (Stanford, Virginia, Duke, Florida State and North Carolina)
  • Combined with last season’s results, the ACC is now 17-0-1 in first-round matchups over the past two seasons
  • After the second round of the NCAA Tournament, ACC teams are 91-23-27 (.741) against non-conference opponents, including a 20-13-9 (.583) record against peer power conferences
  • Since 2019, 56 ACC teams have earned bids into the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, the most among all conferences ... the next closest conference has earned 52 bids (SEC)
  • This season marks the first since 2021 that the ACC claimed three of the four top seeds ... excluding the shortened tournament field in 2020, the ACC has had multiple No. 1 seeds in eight consecutive years ... no other conference has had multiple No. 1 seeds since 2016
  • The ACC has stockpiled victories in the NCAA Tournament, recording 113 wins since 2019 ... the next closest conference has just 60 wins in that span
  • Since 2019, ACC teams have made 13 appearances in the College Cup, the most of any conference with the next closest being just five appearances
  • Current ACC membership has played in every Women’s College Cup with a combined 90 appearances and 32 of the 43 national championships
  • For the first time in the history of the College Cup, all four teams last year came from the same conference, as Stanford, Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina reached Cary, N.C.

STANFORD VS. THE FIELD

  • Stanford compiled a 3-1-2 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament field this season leading into the NCAA Tournament
  • The Cardinal posted a pair of wins over No. 1 seed Virginia, and one over No. 3 seed Florida State
  • Stanford drew No. 1 seed Notre Dame and No. 8 seed Clemson, while dropping a match to No. 4 seed UCLA

TOURNAMENT TESTED

ACC CHAMPIONS TWICE OVER

  • Stanford clinched its first ACC regular-season championship by way of an 8-2 win at California on October 30
  • The Cardinal entered the match with an identical ACC record as Notre Dame, but the Irish dropped a decision to Pitt on the road which allowed Stanford to secure the title outright
  • The conference title was Stanford's seventh overall since 2015 after winning the Pac-12 in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022
  • The Cardinal has won 16 conference titles in program history
  • Doubling up on the ACC trophies, Stanford also won the ACC Championship tournament to capture the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament
  • In a battle of the top two teams in the nation, No. 1 Stanford claimed the ACC Championship following a 2-2 draw with No. 2 Notre Dame that saw the Cardinal win a penalty kick shootout 5-4
  • Sophomore Charlotte Kohler clinched the match in penalties, burying her shot following a missed penalty from Notre Dame in the sixth round of PKs

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP ALL-TOURNAMENT

  • Following the conclusion of the 2025 Ally ACC Tournament Championship match, four Cardinal players were named to the All-Tournament Team
  • Senior Jasmine Aikey earned Tournament MVP, while Charlotte Kohler, Andrea Kitahata and Elise Evans joined Aikey on the All-Tournament squad
  • Aikey finished the two matches with two goals, including the game-winner vs. No. 7 Virginia in the semifinal, an assist and five points
  • Kohler recorded a brace against No. 7 Virginia in the semifinal, added an assist in the final against No. 2 Notre Dame, and converted the clinching PK against the Fighting Irish
  • Kitahata managed an assist in the semifinal against the Cavaliers, while Evans anchored the Stanford back line while playing every minute of both matches

CARDINAL IN THE TOP 10

  • Stanford opened the season at No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, has spent four weeks at No. 1, and has been ranked in the Top 10 throughout the year
  • The Cardinal has been ranked in the top three in each of the last 12 polls
  • Prior to this season, the Cardinal last carried the No. 1 overall ranking according to United Soccer Coaches for three consecutive weeks starting on September 2 last year
  • The top ranking last year was the first for Stanford since finishing the 2019 season as the national champion
  • The ACC has held the No. 1 ranking in all but one week this season ... North Carolina, Duke, Stanford, Virginia and Notre Dame have all occupied the top spot
  • In the last 34 weeks of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, dating back to 2023, an ACC team has been ranked No. 1 in all but three polls

LAST TIME OUT

  • After trading blows and playing to a 4-3 score over the first 54 minutes, Stanford settled in and tallied the final three goals in a 7-3 victory over Alabama on Friday night
  • The Cardinal received braces from seniors Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans, but allowed three goals in a match for the first time this season
  • The Cardinal dominated the offensive numbers in the victory, posting a 40-5 advantage in shots and a 22-0 advantage in corner kicks ... despite the lopsided stats, Alabama kept the match close with an efficient attack that saw the Crimson Tide put four of its five goals on frame for three goals
  • Stanford’s 40 shots were the most for the Cardinal since posting 44 against San Diego State on August 29, 2021, while the 22 shots on goal were the most since putting 28 on frame against Prairie View A&M on November 15, 2019
  • Aikey got the scoring started in the fourth minute when she headed home one of the early offerings from Mia Bhuta at the corner flag for her 16th goal of the year
  • Alabama’s Gianna Paul, who also managed a brace in the match, scored her first of the night in the 12th minute to draw level
  • Andrea Kitahata put the Cardinal back on top at 2-1 in the 18th minute when Eleanor Klinger played a ball to the back post that skipped perfectly into the path of the redshirt senior who buried her left-footed shot into the net for her 14th of the year
  • Responding once more, Alabama drew back even on breakaway goal from Madeline Padelski in the 34th minute
  • Stanford’s star center back, Evans sandwiched a brace around halftime – scoring a pair of goals in a span of eight minutes of playing time ... she struck for her first tally in the 41st minute as she headed in a cross from Charlotte Kohler before once again getting on the end of a lofted ball from Kohler in the 48th minute the game-winner ... the brace was the first of Evans’ illustrious career on The Farm, and ran her season goal total to seven
  • Paul gave Alabama life once more with an impressive strike for her second goal in the 54th minute, but Stanford answered with goals in the 74th, 88th and 90th minutes
  • Aikey completed her fourth brace of the season in the 74th minute as she curled a beautiful left-footed shot into the back of the net to run her season goal total to 17
  • Y-Lan Nguyen notched her second goal of the year in the 88th minutes as she uncorked a shot from distance after Brooke Holden battled to keep a ball alive
  • Allie Montoya put the finishing touches on the scoring with just 12 seconds left in the match ... Jaden Thomas set up the goal, putting a cross into the box that was chested on by freshman Noe Johnson to the foot of Montoya who timed up her right-footed shot and laced it past Alabama goalkeeper Coralie Lallier for her eighth goal of the season
  • Facing the offensive onslaught from the Cardinal, Lallier was credited with a career-best 15 saves

SPREADING THE WEALTH

  • Fifteen different players have scored goals this season, and five more have contributed an assist, as 20 players have factored into points
  • Jasmine Aikey has contributed 17 goals and 10 assists for a team-best 44 points, while Andrea Kitahata has scored 14 goals and added nine assists for 37 points
  • Charlotte Kohler has scored 10 goals while adding a team-high 14 assists for 34 points, Allie Montoya has contributed eight goals and five assists for 21 points, and Shae Harvey has posted 19 points on five goals and nine assists

ALL-CONFERENCE HAUL

  • Having clinched the regular-season ACC title, Stanford was well-represented in the conference end of year awards process
  • Elise Evans was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Caroline Birkel was selected ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, and Paul Ratcliffe was named ACC Coach of the Year
  • Jasmine Aikey, Birkel, Evans and Andrea Kitahata were named to the All-ACC first team, while Shae Harvey and Charlotte Kohler landed on the second team
  • Having turned in spectacular first seasons on The Farm, Birkel and Y-Lan Nguyen were named to the ACC All-Freshman team
  • For Ratcliffe, the conference Coach of the Year selection is his 10th overall, including his first since being named Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2018
  • Evans is Stanford’s sixth Defensive Player of the Year selection, including the first since Naomi Girma earned the Pac-12’s top defender award in 2021
  • Birkel’s selection runs Stanford’s Goalkeeper of the Year list to three, joining Jane Campbell (2015) and Ryan Campbell (2023) who had previously garnered the honor in the Pac-12
  • Birkel is the first freshman to win ACC Goalkeeper of the Year honors since the award’s inception in 2022
  • Stanford’s four first-team honorees, and six selections across the three All-ACC teams, were each the most of any program in the conference
  • Kitahata was the lone Cardinal listed on the preseason All-ACC squad prior to the year

FRESHMEN READY TO PLAY

  • Freshman goalkeeper Caroline Birkel has started every match of her inaugural campaign on The Farm, while Lily Freer has started all but five while logging 1,456 minutes - including every minute of 11 contests
  • Fellow freshmen Brooke Holden and Y-Lan Nguyen have also played in all 21 matches this season
  • Holden entered as a substitute in the 60th minute vs. San Francisco and went on to score a brace, notching goals in the 82nd and 87th minutes to become the first Cardinal since at least 2000 to record multiple goals in her collegiate debut ... she has totaled six goals overall this season
  • Nguyen made her first collegiate start at Pitt on September 14, managing an assist in the match ... has now started 11 matches in her freshman season
  • Freshman Milly Bray has contributed a goal and two assists, Nguyen has tallied two goals and two assists in 1,356 minutes, and Ava Harrison and Noe Johnson have assisted on one tally
  • In addition to the freshmen debuts, sophomore Kaiya Jota also made her collegiate debut in goal against San Francisco in the season opener

THEY HAVE THE ANSWER

  • The Cardinal has allowed just 22 goals this year, but when it has conceded, it has often been quick to respond with a counterpunch
  • Stanford allowed its first goal of the season to then-No. 16 Santa Clara on August 17 with the clock reading 88:51, but freshman Milly Bray got that goal back for the Cardinal just 24 second later
  • Saint Mary's scored in the 52nd minute on August 24, but Jasmine Aikey and Stanford responded for a goal in the 55th to regain all the momentum
  • After USC's Jaiden Anderson netted a goal in the final ticks of the 80th minute on September 4, Eleanor Klinger completed a brace with a goal in the 83rd
  • Stanford allowed a goal at Miami in the 66th minute only to respond with one from Andrea Kitahata in the 79th
  • The Cardinal allowed a goal in the 49th minute at California on October 30, but responded with a goal of its own from Jasmine Aikey in the 61st
  • A second Cal goal in the 85th-minute was answered by a strike from Erica Grilione in the 89th
  • Stanford allowed a first-minute goal to Cal Poly on November 14 before answering with a goal from Shae Harvey in the seventh minute to draw even in a 3-1 victory
  • Most recently, Stanford allowed goals in the 12th and 34th minutes to Alabama, but responded each time with goals in the 18th and 41st

HOME SWEET HOME

  • Stanford owns a 132-7-10 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 extend 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 is 12-0-0 so far this season at home and has outscored the opposition 53-8
  • The Cardinal went 7-2-1 last year at home and outscored the opposition 20-9
  • Stanford has managed unbeaten home slates in six of the last 11 seasons
  • Including a 7-0 victory over San Francisco this season, Stanford is unbeaten in its last 37 home openers (36-0-1) dating back to 1989 ... lone tie came vs. Portland in 2013
  • The Cardinal is outscoring opponents 130-14 with 26 shutouts over those 37 home openers
  • Stanford owns a 37-4-1 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

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING

  • Stanford has scored 20 goals in the first 15 minutes of a match this year, including 12 in the first 10 and six within five minutes of kickoff
  • Eleanor Klinger's goal just 39 seconds into the match at Pitt on September 14 is the quickest tally for the Cardinal this year, and the fastest for a Cardinal player since Christen Press scored in 23 seconds against BYU on November 14, 2009
  • The Cardinal has also been quick coming out for the second half, collecting 15 goals in the first 15 minutes, and seven in the first 10 minutes, of the second-half whistle ... Charlotte Kohler has the fastest second-half goal this year, striking for one just 47 seconds into the second half against Cal Poly on November 14
  • So far this season, Stanford has scored 42 goals in the first half and 42 in the second half of matches

SUCCESS UNDER RATCLIFFE

  • This fall marks the 23rd 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 410-73-43 record in his tenure on The Farm
  • Ratcliffe has guided Stanford to three national championships, six NCAA finals, 11 conference titles, 11 College Cup appearances, a berth in the NCAA third round in 16 of the past 20 seasons, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament in 22 of his 23 seasons

CARDINAL TABBED FIFTH IN STACKED ACC

  • Stanford was picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season according to the league’s coaches
  • Defending national champion North Carolina was selected as the preseason favorite with 10 first-place votes and 246 overall points ... Notre Dame garnered two first-place votes and 229 points to edge Florida State (225 points) for second in the poll ... the Seminoles, which defeated Stanford in the 2023 College Cup final, earned four first-place votes while placing third ... Duke was picked fourth with 208 points, followed by the Cardinal with 201 points ... Virginia, which was selected seventh behind Wake Forest in the poll, garnered the final first-place vote
  • Including Stanford at No. 7, eight of the 17 ACC teams entered the 2025 season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll - tied for most in the country ... joining the Cardinal in the top 10 were North Carolina (No. 1), Notre Dame (No. 2), Florida State (No. 3), Duke (No. 4) and Wake Forest (No. 10) ... Virginia Tech (No. 14) and Virginia (No. 15) also held national rankings to begin the year, while California and Clemson each received votes in the initial poll

SHE'S BAAAAAAACK

  • Andrea Kitahata announced in February that she would return to Stanford for her fourth and final year of eligibility, forgoing professional opportunities that included a multi-year contract in the NWSL and interest from the UEFA Women’s Champions League
  • Kitahata said, “This was a very difficult decision for me with all the opportunities and growth at the professional level, but I have unfinished business at Stanford. We are looking for a national title and are primed to do it this season.”
  • Kitahata led the Cardinal in goals (9), assists (6), game-winners (3) and points (24), and had a goal in five consecutive matches in the 2024 season - becoming the first Cardinal to score in five consecutive matches since Catarina Macario in the 2019 national title season
  • Over 95 career appearances at Stanford, Kitahata has scored 36 goals, including 12 game-winners, with 31 assists for 103 points
  • A regular in the United States national team system, Kitahata has been called up for more than 35 youth national team camps ... she competed for the United States in the 2022 U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup and scored seven goals for the U.S. as the second-highest goal scorer in the 2022 U20 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers
  • Kitahata is working toward her Master of Science in Sustainability Science and Practice and has plans to pursue an MBA or attend law school after her playing career is over

AYE AYE, CAPTAINS!

  • Stanford named a quartet of players team captains ahead of the 2025 season - juniors Mia Bhuta and Shae Harvey, senior Elise Evans and redshirt senior Andrea Kitahata
  • Evans and Kitahata were both voted team captains a year ago, while Bhuta and Harvey are first-year captains on The Farm

O'HARA CLAIMS HER HALL OF FAME SPOT

  • One of the most decorated players in United States soccer history, Kelley O'Hara was inducted into the Stanford Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025 on Friday, September 26
  • Joining O'Hara as former student-athletes inducted were Sarah Beeson Andersen (softball), Erin Burdette (women’s tennis), David DeCastro (football), Ryan Garko (baseball), Dan Gill (men’s gymnastics), Kiley Neushul (women’s water polo), Jeanette Pohlen (women’s basketball), Chasson Randle (men’s basketball) and Tank Williams (football)
  • O'Hara is the ninth inductee from women's soccer and the first since Teresa Noyola in 2024
  • O'Hara led Cardinal to four NCAA appearances (2006-09), back-to-back NCAA College Cups (2008-09) and a national runner-up finish (2009)
  • MAC Hermann Trophy Award recipient (2009) - the first recipient in school history - along with Soccer America Player of the Year (2009) and NSCAA Player of the Year (2009), leading the nation in goals (26) and points (65) as a senior
  • Three-time NSCAA All-American (2007-09) and NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team pick (2009)
  • Pac-10 Player of the Year (2009), fueling the Cardinal to its first conference title in seven seasons, and a four-time All-Pac-10 selection (2006-09)
  • Ranks fourth in school history in points (146), fourth in goals (57), and fifth in shots (344)
  • Three-time Olympian with Team USA (2012, 2016, 2020) and two-time medalist (2012 gold, 2020 bronze), concluding her USWNT career with 160 caps and playing in every senior world championship from 2011-23
  • Four-time World Cup participant with Team USA (2011, 2015, 2019, 2023) and three-time medalist (2011 silver, 2015 gold, 2019 gold)
  • Competed 11 seasons in NWSL, winning championships with Gotham FC (2023) and Washington Spirit (2021) while also collecting a title with FC Gold Pride (2010) of the WPS
  • CSC Academic All-America First Team (2009), NSCAA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2009), Senior CLASS Award finalist (2009), three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection (2007-09)

REPRESENTING THE SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

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

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

#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