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Women's Soccer

Cardinal Hits the Road Sunday

No. 1 Stanford will hit the road following a five-match homestand when it travels to Santa Clara on Sunday

Game Coverage

MATCH NOTABLES

Stanford and Santa Clara have won two of the last seven national titles (STAN - 2019, SCU 2020-21) ... Santa Clara eliminated Stanford from the 2022 NCAA Tournament ... seven of the last 10 matches have been decided by one goal or fewer ... including the 24-21-7 record against Santa Clara, Stanford is 99-34-11 against current West Coast Conference teams - 21-5-2 vs. Saint Mary's; 1-0-0 vs. Seattle University; 2-2-0 vs. Pepperdine; 5-1-0 vs. San Diego; 27-0-0 vs. San Francisco; 4-1-0 vs. Denver; 2-1-0 vs. LMU; 8-3-2 vs. Portland; 5-0-0 vs. Pacific

QUICK PASSES

  • Stanford entered 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 72-8-11 over its last 91 matches and has managed a clean sheet in 46 of its last 87 contests, including five of the first six this season … has outscored the opposition 85-19 over its last 23 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 138-7-11 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season but had a 20-match win streak dating back to the 2024 season snapped with Thursday's draw vs. USC ... is unbeaten in the last 21 consecutive home matches (20-0-1) ... 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 418-74-44 (.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 four consecutive matches and has contributed nine points (4 goals, 1 assist) ... posted a goal and an assist in Stanford's 6-0 shutout win over UC Irvine (August 23) ... notched the equalizer in the 87th minute vs. USC on Thursday night
  • 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 ... co-Offensive Player of the Week on August 25 after managing a goal and an assist in 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 five of the six 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 ... has contributed on nine of Stanford’s 21 goals this year while totaling 14 points (5 goals, 4 assists) ... nine goal contributions are the most since Catarina Macario's 13 (9 goals, 4 assists) in the first six of 2019 ... has managed 47 goal contributions in her career (22 goals, 25 assists) … 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 four 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 of the last four 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 hit the road following a five-match homestand when it travels to Santa Clara on Sunday
  • Kickoff between the Cardinal and the Broncos is set for 1 p.m. and Alex Perlman and Michael Lahoud will have the broadcast call on ESPNU
  • Following the clash with Santa Clara, Stanford will remain on the road and begin ACC play at No. 2 Duke on Sunday, September 13 at 9 a.m. PT
  • The match against the Blue Devils will be broadcast live on ACC Network

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

  • 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
  • Bring the whole family to The Farm for Youth Day on Sunday, September 20 vs. Wake Forest ... the first fans through the gates will receive a mini Stanford tote keychain (while supplies last), and stick around after the match for a postgame autograph session with the team

LAST TIME OUT

  • On a Thursday night that Stanford retired the No. 19 worn by Katie Meyer, the top-ranked Cardinal played to a 2-2 draw with USC from Cagan Stadium
  • Following the emotional ceremony, the Cardinal and Trojans played to an even first half as Stanford held a narrow 6-4 advantage in shots following the first 45 minutes
  • Junior captain Charlotte Kohler opened the scoring with a goal in the 36th minute, but USC managed to find the equalizer in the 43rd to send the teams into the locker rooms knotted at a goal apiece
  • The goal allowed in the first half was the first allowed by the Cardinal this season after opening the year with five consecutive shutouts
  • While it was USC that took the early lead in the second half, benefitting from a Peyton Nakagawara goal in the 54th minute, Stanford proved to be the aggressor in the final 45 minutes ... the Cardinal posted a 20-5 advantage in shots in the second half, but despite a handful of quality chances, struggled to find the equalizer
  • After winning a free kick just outside the top of the box in the 76th minute, Kohler lined up her shot and pinged it off the woodwork as the Trojans held onto the 2-1 advantage ... continuing to knock on the door down the stretch, the Cardinal finally found the equalizer in the 87th minute when Milly Bray played a ball into the box and Brooke Holden battled for position and muscled her right-footed shot into the back of the net
  • A flurry of chances in the waning seconds nearly saw the Cardinal steal the comeback victory, but a final effort from Marinos with just seconds remaining floated over the bar as the two teams settled for a point apiece
  • USC goalkeeper Josie Biehl was credited with seven saves on the night, while fifth-year keeper Rhiannon Stewart managed four for Stanford.

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 RETIRES MEYER'S NO. 19

  • Stanford officially retired the No. 19, last worn by Katie Meyer from 2018-21, during a ceremony September 3 prior to the Cardinal’s match vs. USC
  • The pregame ceremony featured Katie’s parent, Steve and Gina, being presented with framed No. 19 jerseys before the Cardinal unveiled a No. 19 decal that adorns a portion of the wall along the south end of the facility
  • “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 managed a clean sheet in each of its first five matches of a the season for the first time since recording a shutout in the first nine of the 2014 campaign
  • Over the first five matches this year, Stanford allowed just 26 total shots - including 10 on frame
  • The Cardinal finally conceded a pair of goals in a 2-2 draw to USC on September 3
  • Stanford has been especially stingy in the first half, allowing only 11 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 138-7-11 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season
  • Had a 20-match win streak dating back to the 2024 season snapped with Thursday's 2-2 draw vs. USC, but is unbeaten in the last 21 consecutive home matches (20-0-1)
  • 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 4-0-1 at home and has outscored the opposition 20-2
  • 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 418-74-44 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

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 five goals and four assists for 14 points through the first six matches
  • Brooke Holden has amassed nine points by way of four goals and one assist, while junior Bella Winn has scored three goals and two assists for eight 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

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

  • With a 1-0 shutout victory over Cal Poly to start the season, Stanford now 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 ... played to a 1-1 draw at Boston College to start the 2010 season
  • Stanford last dropped a season opener in 2006 - a 2-1 defeat at Utah
  • Stanford is 37-4-2 all time in season openers - including 21-2-1 under Paul Ratcliffe

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

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

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

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 matched 2024's total and tied for the second-most in conference history ... the nine teams also tied for the most among all conferences
  • Three of the nine advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round (Stanford, Duke and Florida State) - tied for most among all conferences ... all three advanced to the College Cup, and Stanford met Florida State for the national title - marking the second consecutive season that two ACC schools played for the national championship
  • Last year also marked the eighth straight season at least one ACC team competed in the national championship match, and the third time within that span that two ACC teams played for the title (2018 and 2024) ... the national championship was the ACC’s 27th in conference history and 33rd among current membership
  • An ACC team won a third consecutive NCAA title after Florida State won it all in 2023 and 2025, and North Carolina claimed the crown in 2024
  • Last year marked the fourth consecutive season (and 16th time in the 44-year history of the event) that the ACC sent multiple teams to the College Cup
  • Since 2019, ACC teams have made 16 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 93 appearances and 32 of the 43 national championships
  • Last season marked the seventh consecutive season the ACC has sent multiple teams to the national quarterfinals ... in the last five NCAA Women's Soccer Championships, the ACC has sent 20 teams to the national quarterfinals, the most among all conferences - the next closest total is just nine (Big Ten)
  • Combined with last season’s results, the ACC is now 17-0-1 in first-round matchups over the past two seasons
  • 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)
  • Last season marked 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

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

REPRESENTING THE SENIOR NATIONAL TEAM

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

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

  • 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