Top-Ranked Cardinal Wraps Up Homestand Thursday

MATCH NOTABLES

Stanford and USC competed against one another as members of the Pac-10/Pac-12 from 1995 through 2023 ... the Cardinal is 2-2-2 against USC in the last six matches after going 5-1-0 over the previous six ... prior to last year's 5-1 victory, each of the previous seven matches between the two teams had been decided by one goal or fewer ... Stanford is 9-3-3 overall at home against USC and 11-4-2 on the road ... the Cardinal is 15-5-4 under Paul Ratcliffe

QUICK PASSES

• Stanford enters the week ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and according to TopDrawerSoccer ... carried the Preseason No. 1 tag for the first time since 2018 and has been the top-ranked team through the first four polls this season ... is 72-8-10 over its last 90 matches and has managed a clean sheet in 46 of its last 86 contests, including each of its five matches this year … has outscored the opposition 83-17 over its last 22 matches ... went 7-2-1 against ranked opponents a year ago, including 3-0-0 at home, and is 2-0-0 so far this season ... is the only program to have reached the College Cup in each of the past three seasons ... has now made three consecutive trips for the fifth time in program history, and the first since 2017-19 ... has been ranked in each of the last 50 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 11 of those seasons ... is the winningest program in California since 2010, compiling 308 victories
• The Cardinal owns a 138-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season and has won 20 straight matches at home dating back to the 2024 season … finished 14-0-0 at home last season and outscored its opponents 64-9 in those matches … including last year, Stanford has managed unbeaten home slates in seven of the last 12 seasons
• The 1-0 victory over Cal Poly to start this season marked the sixth consecutive campaign that Stanford opened the year with a shutout (2-0 at Cal Poly in 2021, 5-0 vs. Sacramento State in 2022, 4-0 at San Diego in 2023, 1-0 at San Francisco in 2024 and 7-0 vs. San Francisco in 2025)
• Including a 1-0 win over Cal Poly this season, Stanford owns a 20-match unbeaten streak in season openers (19-0-1) dating back to 2007 ... Stanford has posted 12 shutouts over the 20-match streak ... the Cardinal has won 16 straight season openers after playing to a 1-1 draw at Boston College to start the 2010 season
• Stanford has won two of the last nine College Cups - most recently capturing the title in 2019 ... made its 13th appearance in the College Cup last year, including its third in as many years ... also made its seventh appearance in the College Cup final and second in the last three seasons ... is 3-4 in national championship matches … 12 of Stanford’s 13 College Cup appearances have come since 2008
• Stanford finished the 2025 season as the national runner up for the second time in three seasons after dropping the championship match to Florida State
• The Cardinal won the 2025 ACC regular-season and tournament championships  for the first time in program history
• Stanford's 2-0 victory over Boston College on September 25 was No. 400 on The Farm for Paul Ratcliffe, who now carries a 418-74-43 (.821) record at Stanford
• The Cardinal scored at least three goals in 17 of the 25 matches last year, reached the five-goal plateau 11 times, and scored at least six goals six times ... averaged a national-best 22.80 shots per game last year, having posted at least 20 in 16 of the 25 matches, and led the nation in scoring offense (3.84 goals per game), assists per game (3.76), goal differential (+72), points per game (11.44), total assists (94), total goals (96) and total points (286)
• Caroline Birkel will represent the U.S. at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27 ... was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list to start the season ... recorded a solo shutout in each of the first two matches this year, running her career clean sheets total to five ... has been named TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI second team, Preseason All-ACC and is listed on the United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper to Watch list ... was named United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team, ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, All-ACC first team and All-ACC Freshman team last year
• Lizzie Boamah will represent the U.S. at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27
• Lily Freer was named TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team last year
• Erica Grilione posted a goal and an assist in Stanford's 6-0 shutout win over UC Irvine (August 23)
• Brooke Holden has scored in three consecutive matches and has contributed seven points (3 goals, 1 assist) ... posted a goal and an assist in Stanford's 6-0 shutout win over UC Irvine (August 23)
• Kaiya Jota will represent England at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27
• Eleanor Klinger will represent England at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27
• Charlotte Kohler was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list to start the season ... was named co-Offensive Player of the Week on August 25 after managing a goal and an assist in both matches vs. No. 14 Georgetown (August 20) and UC Irvine (August 23) ... owns six career matches with at least one goal and an assist ... has scored in four of the five matches this season, including each of the first four to start the year ... has managed a point in every match this season ... finished with two assists against Cal State Fullerton on August 30 for her fifth career match with multiple assists and has now contributed on eight of Stanford’s 19 goals this year while totaling 12 points (4 goals, 4 assists) ... has managed 46 goal contributions in her career (21 goals, 25 assists) … has been named TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team, Preseason All-ACC and is listed on the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch list ... was named United Soccer Coaches All-America third team, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI third team, All-ACC second team and ACC All-Tournament  a year ago ... managed at least a point in 19 of the 25 matches last season and contributed five game-winners - including the game-winner to defeat No. 1 Virginia and No. 7 Florida State ... led the nation with 17 assists a year ago – the second-most in a single season in Stanford history and averaged .68 assists per match to rank third nationally ... ranked third on the team in points with 41 (12 goals and 17 assists) last season
• Sadie Leal-Schuman was named ACC Freshman of the Week on September 1 after scoring one goal and three assists for five points in 163 minutes played as Stanford posted a pair of shutouts over No. 17 UCLA and Cal State Fullerton ... notched an Olimpico goal in the 30th minute against Cal State Fullerton (August 30), bending her corner kick into the net for her first career goal, and also added an assist against the Titans ... has amassed four assists in the last three matches, and has compiled six points this season (1 goal, 4 assists)
• Y-Lan Nguyen will represent the U.S. at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27 ... has been named TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team and is listed on the United Soccer Coaches Midfielders to Watch list ... was named TopDrawerSoccer National Freshman of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, All-ACC Freshman team and Women's College Cup All-Tournament team a year ago
• Sammy Smith was named ACC Defender of the Week on September 1 after helping Stanford post a pair of shutouts over No. 17 UCLA and Cal State Fullerton
• Alex Tay will represent Ghana at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27 ... suited up with Ghana at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in August of this year
• Bella Winn has scored in three straight matches and has contributed eight points (3 goals, 2 assists) this season ... managed a goal and an assist in back-to-back matches against UC Irvine and No. 17 UCLA, including scoring the game-winner against the Bruins (August 27) ... is listed on the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch list ... transferred into the program after two seasons at UCLA where she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2025), United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team (2025), All-Big Ten second team (2025) and Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2025) ... UCLA’s leading scorer with eight goals and 18 points a year ago, including five game-winning goals to rank second in the Big Ten
• London Young was named the inaugural ACC Freshman of the Week on August 18 after helping Stanford post a 1-0 shutout victory over Cal Poly

NOW AND LATER

• No. 1 Stanford will continue the home portion of the 2026 schedule, and conclude a five-match homestand, when it welcomes USC to The Farm on Thursday
• Kickoff between the Cardinal and the Trojans is set for 7 p.m. and Sara Ach and Phillip Hall will have the broadcast call on ACC Network Extra
• Following the clash with USC, Stanford will hit the road to visit Santa Clara on Sunday, September 6 at 1 p.m.
• The match against the Broncos will be broadcast live on ESPNU as Alex Perlman and Michael Lahoud will have the broadcast call

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

• Join us this Suicide Prevention Month as we highlight the importance of mental health in women’s soccer throughout the match against USC on Thursday, September 3 ... the first fans through the gates against the Trojans will receive a free Stanford Soccer “Mental Health Matters” hat, while supplies last, and the Cardinal will be holding a No. 19 jersey retirement ceremony pregame for the late Katie Meyer
• It's the ACC Home Opener on Thursday, September 17 vs. Louisville and we’re celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month ... join us for themed in-game programming and special halftime performances

LAST TIME OUT

• Seven different players contributed goals, and No. 1 Stanford scored five times in the second half, en route to defeating Cal State Fullerton 7-0 on August 30
• Stanford proved especially effective on corner kick opportunities, converting three of its 13 chances from the flag
• With the Cardinal already leading 1-0 following a Milly Bray strike in the 24th minute, freshman Sadie Leal-Schuman scored an Olimpico in the 30th minute to make it 2-0 ... Leal-Schuman curled a ball toward the near post that bounced past a Titan defender and snuck over the goal line toward the back post ... the goal was the first of Leal-Schuman’s career, and the Olimpico was the first for Stanford since Jasmine Aikey vs. Saint Mary’s on August 27, 2023
• Charlotte Kohler and Bella Winn connected on a corner kick chance in the 48th minute as Kohler, who assisted on Bray’s game-winner to open the scoring, sent a low ball into the box ... sophomore Lily Freer delivered a perfect dummy, leaving an easy tap into the open net for Winn
• Junior Ella Emri also managed her first career goal, heading home a corner kick off the foot of Leal-Schuman in the 69th minute to make it 4-0 Cardinal
• Stanford poured it on in the final 10 minutes, scoring a trio of goals to complete the runaway victory ... Brooke Holden drew a penalty in the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick in the 82nd minute before Peyton Marinos buried her first career goal with a rocket shot in the 89th ... senior Erica Grilione put the finishing touches on the victory, lofting a shot to the back post that found the back of the net with 34 seconds remaining in the match
• Goalkeeper Rhiannon Stewart secured the shutout while making four saves – including tipping a point-blank shot off the crossbar in the 84th minute
• The Cardinal managed a 32-11 advantage in shots while posting a 13-4 advantage in corner kicks … eclipsed the 30-shot mark for the first time since posting 40 shots against Alabama on November 21, 2025 … the 13 corner kicks and seven goals scored were also the most since taking 22 corners and scoring seven times in that same match against Alabama
• Emri, Leal-Schuman and Marinos all managed their first career goals

SADIE AND SAMMY EARN ACC WEEKLY HONORS

• Helping guide Stanford to a 2-0 week that included a 3-0 shutout of No. 17 UCLA and a 7-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton, freshman midfielder Sadie Leal-Schuman and junior defender Sammy Smith were named ACC Freshman and Defender of the Week, respectively, on September 1
• The conference weekly honors were the first of both players’ careers, and ran Stanford’s 2026 season total to four selections after London Young earned Freshman of the Week on August 18 following the first week of competition, and junior Charlotte Kohler was selected co-Offensive Player of the Week on August 25 following week two
• Leal-Schuman finished the two matches with one goal and three assists for five points in 163 minutes played ... the freshman contributed an assist on each of the first two goals against the Bruins before adding a goal and an assist vs. Cal State Fullerton ... the native of Orinda, Calif. notched an Olimpico goal in the 30th minute against the Titans, bending her corner kick into the net for her first career goal
• Smith anchored the Stanford back line, playing all 180 minutes as the Cardinal posted the pair of shutouts ... the native of Boise, Idaho helped limit No. 17 UCLA and Cal State Fullerton to a combined 16 total shots, including just six on frame
• NC State’s Jade Bordeleau and Anna Weir of Virginia Tech were named co-Offensive Players of the Week, and Clemson’s Nona Reason claimed Goalkeeper of the Week

CARDINAL TO RETIRE MEYER'S NO. 19

• Stanford will officially retire the No. 19, last worn by Katie Meyer from 2018-21, during a ceremony Thursday prior to the Cardinal’s 7 p.m. match vs. USC
• Fans are encouraged to arrive early to be part of the pregame ceremony, which will include Meyer’s parents, Steve and Gina, receiving framed No. 19 jerseys
• “Katie was an extraordinary competitor, an exceptional leader and, most importantly, an incredible person who had a profound impact on everyone around her,” The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe said. “She played the game with such passion and courage, and she brought a joy and energy to our program that was uniquely Katie. Retiring the No. 19 is a meaningful way for us to honor her legacy and ensure that future generations of Stanford women’s soccer players understand the impact she had on this program, this university and the people who had the privilege of knowing her.”
• A two-time team captain, fearless competitor, and beloved teammate, Meyer proudly represented the Cardinal with passion, confidence, and unforgettable spirit ... among her many memorable moments on the field, Meyer played a defining role in Stanford’s run to the 2019 national championship, making four saves in regulation and two more in the penalty shootout as the Cardinal defeated No. 2 North Carolina in the College Cup final
• Meyer tragically passed away in 2022, after which her family established Katie’s Save, an organization dedicated to advocating for systemic change at colleges and universities, promoting mental health, protecting students and preventing suicide
• In recognition of Katie’s lasting impact on The Farm, Stanford Athletics created the Katie Meyer Leadership Award in 2026 ... presented annually at the Stanford Athletic Board Awards ceremony, the award honors the student-athlete who best embodies Meyer’s unwavering leadership, dynamic spirit and relentless commitment to excellence — qualities that defined her legacy ... the inaugural recipient was women’s soccer player Andrea Kitahata, who was a teammate of Meyer’s during the 2021 season

CLEAN SHEETS TO START THE SEASON

• The Cardinal has managed a clean sheet in each of its first five matches for the first time since recording a shutout in the first nine of the 2014 campaign
• Over the first five matches this year, Stanford has allowed just 26 total shots - including 10 on frame
• Stanford has been especially stingy in the first half, allowing only seven combined shots by its opponents in the opening 45 minutes

TWO TO WATCH

• Stanford sophomore goalkeeper Caroline Birkel and junior midfielder Charlotte Kohler were among the players named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List to start the season
• A Cardinal player has claimed four of the last nine MAC Hermann trophies, with Jasmine Aikey earning the honor last season ... Andi Sullivan won 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 seven winners
• The Hermann Trophy is presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club and is the nation's highest individual honor, recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by a vote of Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches
• The award is named in honor of the late Robert Hermann, the St. Louis, Mo., businessman and soccer executive who founded the National Professional Soccer League — the first professional soccer league in the United States, which later became the North American Soccer League ... Hermann was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2012

HOME SWEET HOME

• Stanford owns a 138-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season and has won 20 straight matches at home dating back to the 2024 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 finished 14-0-0 at home last season and outscored its opponents 64-9 in those matches
• So far this year, Stanford is 4-0-0 at home and has outscored the opposition 18-0
• Including last year, Stanford has managed unbeaten home slates in seven of the last 12 seasons
• Including a 2-0 victory over No. 14 Georgetown this year, Stanford is unbeaten in its last 38 home openers (37-0-1) dating back to 1989 ... lone tie came vs. Portland in 2013
• The Cardinal is outscoring opponents 132-14 with 27 shutouts over those 38 home openers
• Stanford owns a 38-4-1 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

CARDINAL IN THE TOP 10

• Stanford opened the 2026 season at No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll after finishing 2025 as the national runner-up ... was ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll for the first time since 2018 and has carried the top ranking through the first four polls this year
• The Cardinal opened the 2025 season at No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, reached as high as No. 1, and was ranked in the Top 10 throughout the year
• Including the final poll, the Cardinal was ranked in the top three in each of the last 13 polls in 2025
• The top ranking last year was the first for Stanford since finishing the 2019 season as the national champion
• The ACC held the No. 1 ranking in all but one week last year ... North Carolina, Duke, Stanford, Virginia, Notre Dame and Florida State all occupied the top spot
• In the last 39 weeks of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, dating back to 2023, an ACC team has been ranked No. 1 in all but three polls

RING, RING...THE NATIONAL TEAM IS CALLING

• Caroline Birkel, Lizzie Boamah and Y-Lan Nguyen will represent the U.S., Kaiya Jota and Eleanor Klinger will suit up for England, and Alex Tay will play for Ghana, at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland that will run from September 5-27
• Stanford's three U.S. selections are tied with North Carolina for the most from any college program, while Jota, Klinger and Tay are the lone collegiate players on their rosters
• The USA opens the World Cup on Sunday, September 6 against Italy, then faces 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finalist Japan on Wednesday, September 9 and finishes the group stage against New Zealand on Saturday, September 12
• England will get their World Cup campaign underway against Canada on Saturday, September 5 in Bielsko-Biała, before facing Tanzania on Tuesday, September 8, and concluding Group B play against Brazil on Friday, September 11
• The Black Princesses will open their Women's World Cup campaign against Ecuador on Sunday, September 6, play their second Group C fixture against South Korea on Wednesday, September 9, and close the group stage with a contest against France on September 12
• For the second time ever, and in its 12th installment, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup will feature 24 nations ... the competition started in 2002 as a 12-team tournament played at the U-19 level ... the 2004 tournament also featured U-19s before moving to U-20s for the 2006 tournament
• The 24 teams that will compete in the tournament are host Poland, England, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain from Europe; the USA, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica from Concacaf; Benin, Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria from Africa; Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia from South America; Korea Republic, Japan, Korea DPR and China PR from Asia; and New Zealand and New Caledonia from Oceania
• The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup features 24 countries divided into six groups of four teams ... the top two finishers in each group and the four best third-place finishers will advance to the Round of 16 taking place on September 16 and 17 ... the quarterfinals will all be played on September 19 and 20 with the semifinals being contested on Wednesday, September 23 ... the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Final and Third-Place Match will be held on Sunday, September 26

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING

• So far this season, Stanford has scored a trio of goals within the first 10 minutes of the opening whistle - scoring in the sixth and 10th minutes against No. 14 Georgetown on August 20 before notching one in the eighth minute against UC Irvine on August 23
• Stanford scored 24 goals in the first 15 minutes of a match last year, including 14 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 was the quickest tally for the Cardinal last year, and the fastest for a Cardinal player since Christen Press scored in 23 seconds against BYU on November 14, 2009
• The Cardinal was also quick coming out for the second half, collecting 18 goals in the first 15 minutes, and eight in the first 10 minutes, of the second-half whistle ... Charlotte Kohler had the fastest second-half goal last year, striking for one just 47 seconds into the second half against Cal Poly on November 14
• Over the course of the season, Stanford scored 49 goals in the first half and 47 in the second half of matches

SUCCESS UNDER RATCLIFFE

• This fall marks the 24th 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 418-74-43 record in his tenure on The Farm
• Ratcliffe has guided Stanford to three national championships, seven NCAA finals, 11 conference titles, 12 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

KOHLER NAMED OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOLLOWING HOT START

• Having guided Stanford to a 2-0 week that included a 2-0 shutout of No. 14 Georgetown and a 6-0 victory over UC Irvine, junior midfielder Charlotte Kohler was named ACC co-Offensive Player of the Week on August 25
• The conference weekly honor was the first of Kohler’s career, and the second for Stanford this season after London Young earned Freshman of the Week on August 18 following the first week of competition
• Playing 131 minutes in the Stanford midfield, Kohler totaled two goals and two assists for the week - managing a goal and an assist in each match
• Duke’s Mia Minestrella was also named co-Offensive Player of the Week, Wake Forest’s Sierra Sythe was named Defensive Player of the Week, Maya Naimoli of Syracuse was named Goalkeeper of the Week, and Miami’s Zoie Fontenot claimed Freshman of the Week

LONDON YOUNG NAMED INAUGURAL FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

• Helping lead Stanford to a 1-0 shutout victory at Cal Poly to open the 2026 season, freshman London Young was named the inaugural ACC Freshman of the Week on August 18
• The conference weekly honor was the first of Young’s career, and the first for Stanford this season
• Young played all 90 minutes at centerback for the Cardinal in the win, helping to limit the Mustangs to just four total shots - including two on frame
• North Carolina’s Bella Devey was named Offensive Player of the Week, Wake Forest’s Sierra Sythe was named Defensive Player of the Week, and Nona Reason of Clemson shared Co-Goalkeeper of the Week with Wake Forest’s Valentina Amaral

CARDINAL TABBED SECOND IN STACKED ACC

• Coming off a 2025 season in which it won its first ACC regular-season and tournament titles, Stanford was picked to finish second this year by the league’s coaches
• Stanford secured three first-place votes and totaled 233 points, just six points behind ACC favorite Notre Dame with seven first-place votes and 239 overall points ... Duke, which collected three first-place votes, was third with 224 points, followed by defending national champion Florida State (three first-place votes, 213 points) and North Carolina (one first-place vote, 207 points) to round out the top five
• The United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll included No. 1 Stanford, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Florida State, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 11 Virginia, No. 18 Wake Forest and No. 25 Clemson, while Louisville entered the year receiving votes

PAIR ON PRESEASON ALL-ACC SQUAD

• In addition to the preseason poll, the ACC coaches also selected a Preseason All-ACC team, with sophomore Caroline Birkel and junior Charlotte Kohler earning spots on the squad
• Birkel is the reigning ACC Goalkeeper of the Year and was named United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team as a freshman
• Kohler earned United Soccer Coaches All-America third team and All-Region second team honors a year ago

TOP PLAYERS PLAY ON THE FARM

• Stanford boasted six players on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100 Players list and three on the Preseason Best XI teams
• Midfielders Charlotte Kohler and Y-Lan Nguyen both landed on the Preseason Best XI first team, while goalkeeper Caroline Birkel was selected Best XI second team
• Nguyen led the pack of six Cardinal in the Top 100, claiming the No. 6 overall spot ... Kohler (No. 8), Birkel (No. 20), Bella Winn (No. 34), Eleanor Klinger (No. 44) and Sammy Smith (No. 86) were also featured on the list
• The Cardinal’s six players in the Top 100 were tied for the most of any program in the nation, while Stanford is the only program to have two players in the top 10

AYE AYE, CAPTAINS!

• Stanford named a pair of players team captains ahead of the 2026 season - senior Mia Bhuta and junior Charlotte Kohler
• Bhuta was previously voted a team captain a year ago, while Kohler is a first-year captain on The Farm

RELOADING FOR 2026

• Continuing to maintain one of the premier women’s soccer programs in the nation, The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe added the No. 2 overall recruiting class for the 2026 season according to TopDrawerSoccer
• The high-profile signing class included freshmen Kennedy Kelly, Ella Kral, Sadie Leal-Schuman, Peyton Marinos, Ale Munneke, Aniya Williams and London Young, and transfers Bella Winn (UCLA) and Rhiannon Stewart (Harvard)
• Williams and Young joined the Cardinal as early-enrollees for the winter quarter in 2026 and began training with the Cardinal during the spring

A LOOK BACK AT 2025

• Returning to the College Cup for the third consecutive season, Stanford finished the 2025 campaign with a 21-2-2 overall record and a 9-0-1 record in its second Atlantic Coast Conference season
• The Cardinal made its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance overall in 2025, including its 27th in the last 28 seasons
• The Cardinal reached the College Cup final for the second time in the last three years, dropping the national championship to Florida State
• Stanford captured the 2025 ACC regular-season and tournament titles and entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer polls
• Prior to being named No. 1 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll of the regular season, held the top ranking for two weeks earlier in the season (August 25 and September 1)
• The Cardinal scored at least three goals in 17 of the 25 matches, reached the five-goal plateau 11 times, and scored at least six goals six times
• The Cardinal's 96 combined goals was the second-most in Stanford history for a single season (102 in 2019)
• Stanford averaged a national-best 22.80 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 16 of the 25 matches, and led the nation in scoring offense (3.84 goals per game), assists per game (3.76), goal differential (+72), points per game (11.44), total assists (94), total goals (96) and total points (286)
• Stanford conceded just 24 goals and posted nine shutouts
• Jasmine Aikey was selected the MAC Hermann Trophy winner and TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year ... was named United Soccer Coaches All-America first team, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI first team, All-ACC first team, ACC Championship MVP, ACC All-Tournament, Women's College Cup All-Tournament team, and a finalist for the Honda Sport Award for Soccer ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-America first team and was named Academic All-America Team Member of the Year - becoming just the second player in history to win the Hermann Trophy and Team Member of the Year in the same season (Christine Sinclair, Portland, 2005) ... eventually named College Sports Communicators Overall Academic All-American of the Year - just the third Stanford student-athlete to win the overall honor, joining football’s Tommy Vardell (1991-92) and women’s swimming’s Katie Ledecky (2017-18)
• Caroline Birkel was named United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team, ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, All-ACC first team and All-ACC Freshman team
• Elise Evans was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy and was named United Soccer Coaches All-America first team, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI first team, All-ACC first team and ACC All-Tournament, and was tabbed United Soccer Coaches National Scholar Player of the Year
• Lily Freer was named TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team
• Shae Harvey was named All-ACC second team and Women's College Cup All-Tournament team
• Andrea Kitahata was named United Soccer Coaches All-Region second team, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI second team, All-ACC first team and ACC All-Tournament
• Charlotte Kohler was named United Soccer Coaches All-America third team, TopDrawerSoccer Best XI third team, All-ACC second team and ACC All-Tournament
• Y-Lan Nguyen was named TopDrawerSoccer National Freshman of the Year, TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI first team, All-ACC Freshman team and Women's College Cup All-Tournament team

RILEY CLAIMS HER HALL OF FAME SPOT

• A four-time Olympian and five-time World Cup participant while captaining New Zealand, Ali Riley will be inducted into the Stanford Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 on Friday, September 25
• Joining Riley as members of the class are Inky Ajanaku (women’s volleyball), Kevin Hogan (football), Kristian Ipsen (men’s swimming and diving), Onnie Killefer (field hockey), Owen Marecic (football), Ali Riley (women’s soccer), Erika Roddy (women’s rowing), Laura Shane (lacrosse), Erik Shoji (men’s volleyball) and Kawika Shoji (men’s volleyball)
• Riley will be the 10th inductee from women's soccer and the first since Kelley O'Hara in 2025
• Riley led the Cardinal to four NCAA appearances (2006-09), back-to-back NCAA College Cups (2008-09) and a national runner-up finish (2009) ... Top Drawer Soccer First-Team All-American (2009), NSCAA Third-Team All-American (2009) ... member of Pac-10 title squad (2009), fueling the Cardinal to its first conference championship in seven seasons ... two-time All-Pac-10 selection (first team in 2009, second team in 2007) ... Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2009), 3-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection (2007-09) ... four-time Olympian (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020), representing New Zealand ... five-time World Cup participant (2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023), representing New Zealand ... retired in September 2025 following a decorated professional career, including winning WPS championships with FC Gold Pride (2010) and Western New York Flash (2011) while recognized as a 5-time New Zealand Player of the Year

SPREADING THE WEALTH

• So far this season, 11 players have scored goals, and four more have contributed an assist, as 15 players have factored into points
• Charlotte Kohler leads the way with four goals and four assists for 12 points through the first five matches
• Junior Bella Winn has amassed eight points by way of three goals and two assists, while sophomore Brooke Holden has score three goals and one assist for seven points
• Freshman Sadie Leal-Schuman shares the team lead in assists with four, teaming those with one goal for six points
• Fifteen different players scored goals last season, and five more contributed an assist, as 20 players factored into points
• Jasmine Aikey contributed 21 goals (third-most nationally) and 11 assists for a nation-best 53 points, while Andrea Kitahata scored 17 goals and added 10 assists for 44 points
• Charlotte Kohler scored 12 goals while adding a national-high 17 assists for 41 points, Eleanor Klinger contributed eight goals and eight assists for 24 points, Allie Montoya contributed eight goals and six assists for 22 points, while Elise Evans (seven goals and six assists) and Shae Harvey (five goals and 10 assists) each posted 20 points

SMITH ACHIEVES WINTER OLYMPIC DREAMS

• Less than two months after starting at defender in the 2025 College Cup final for Stanford, Sammy Smith achieved her lifelong goal of making an Olympic team
• Smith earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Cross Country Ski Team ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, which began February 6, 2026, and participated in the women's sprint classic
• Stanford has long been regarded as the preeminent training ground for national team competition ... in Summer Olympics competition, affiliates have captured 335 overall medals from 196 medalists, including a school-record 39 medals at the 2024 Paris Games, representing the most student-athlete medals won in an Olympics by any school ... for the third consecutive edition of the Summer Games, Stanford also totaled the most Team USA selections (37) and Team USA medals (36)
• However, this one just felt a bit different ... Smith’s selection to the national team is extremely rare, if not, unprecedented: a current varsity student-athlete competing for the national team of a different sport within the same academic calendar year ... a native of Boise, Idaho, Smith is believed to be Stanford’s first American varsity student-athlete to also participate in a Winter Olympics since Bonny Warner, a member of the Cardinal’s field hockey team from 1982-84 who competed for Team USA’s luge squad in 1984, 1988 and 1992 ... Stanford’s most recent Team USA Winter Olympian was Rachael Flatt, a figure skater who competed in the 2010 Games and graduated in 2015
• Following a sophomore campaign in which she appeared in every match for the Cardinal, including starting 14 at defender, Smith quickly shifted her attention to the slopes and traveled to Lake Placid, New York, for the U.S. Cross Country Championships from Jan. 4-9 ... just 27 days removed from the national title match, Smith won both the skate sprint and classic sprint to make her case for inclusion on the Olympic team
• Needing another strong performance to solidify her standing, Smith traveled to the 2026 FIS Cross Country Skiing World Cup in Oberhof, Germany, from Jan. 17-18 ... in a potential preview of Olympic competition to come, Smith sprinted to a career-best 12th-place finish and was the top American in the field
• All that was left to do was await the announcement of the 97-member U.S. Ski & Snowboard Olympic Team ... that announcement came early on the morning of Jan. 22 as Team USA nominated its athletes for the Olympic Games
• The Milano Cortina Games took place across Italy, becoming the most geographically widespread Games in history ... athletes competed across 25 venues in four main clusters: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme, with 116 medal events on the schedule ... for ski and snowboard events, Bormio hosted men’s alpine, Cortina hosted women’s alpine, cross country, ski jumping and nordic combined took place in Val di Fiemme and freestyle, freeski and snowboard in Livigno

HOME OF CHAMPIONS

• Stanford is the all-time leader with 139 NCAA team championships (71 men, 68 women), and 178 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 50 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign
• During the 2025-26 season, artistic swimming, men's gymnastics, sailing and women's golf won national titles, with the gymnastics title stretching the NCAA team title streak to 50 years
• Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 32 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

• The Cardinal has made 34 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 27 in the last 28 seasons ... has made seven appearances in the College Cup final, including four in the last nine seasons - 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2025 ... Stanford is 3-4 in national championship matches ... Stanford has won two of the last nine College Cups - most recently capturing the title in 2019
• Stanford has appeared in 13 College Cups, including five straight from 2008-12, with its three national championships coming in 2011, 2017 and 2019 ... 12 of the 13 College Cup appearances have come since 2008
• In addition to the three national titles, Stanford has also been the national runner-up four times (2009, 2010, 2023, 2025)
• The Cardinal has compiled a 78-26-9 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 three consecutive years and 13 times since 2008, and has advanced to the College Cup in three straight seasons and 12 times in the last 18 campaigns ... is 13-for-18 all-time advancing to the College Cup from the round of eight
• Stanford has opened the NCAA Tournament at home 24 times 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 62-4-5 all-time in postseason games hosted on The Farm, and has won 22 straight (last loss: 1-0 (2OT) vs. Santa Clara on November 18, 2016) ... is 50-1-2 over the last 53 postseason home games dating back to 2008
• The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 67-16-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to 12 College Cup appearances, seven College Cup finals, and 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

#OLYMPIANSMADEHERE

• Less than two months after starting at defender in the 2025 College Cup final for the Stanford women’s soccer team, Sammy Smith achieved her lifelong goal of making an Olympic team ... Smith earned a spot as a member of the U.S. Olympic Cross Country Ski Team ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, which got underway February 6, 2026 ... Smith’s selection to the national team is extremely rare, if not, unprecedented: a current Division I varsity student-athlete competing for the national team of a different sport within the same academic calendar year ... a native of Boise, Idaho, Smith is believed to be Stanford’s first American varsity student-athlete to also participate in a Winter Olympics since Bonny Warner, a member of the Cardinal’s field hockey team from 1982-84 who competed for Team USA’s luge squad in 1984, 1988 and 1992 ... Stanford’s most recent Team USA Winter Olympian was Rachael Flatt, a figure skater who competed in the 2010 Games and graduated in 2015
• 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
• 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, 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