SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026
STANFORD CARDINAL (8-3-2) vs. NC STATE WOLFPACK (5-5-4)
Raleigh, N.C. | Dail Soccer Field | 3 p.m. PT | ACC Network Extra
MATCH NOTES » Stanford squares off against NC State on Saturday, making its first trip to Raleigh as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to face the 2025 national runner-up. The Cardinal looks for its first victory in the series against the Wolfpack, facing off just once as conference mates in a 2024 scoreless draw at Cagan Stadium. Both programs have enjoyed recent postseason success, with Stanford making four consecutive trips to the NCAA third round and capturing three national championships (2015-17), while NC State reached the College Cup final for the first time since 1990 last season. Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn is one of six ACC head coaches to win a Division I national title, while NC State head coach Marc Hubbard won the D-II title with Southern New Hampshire in 2013.
LAST TIME OUT » Stanford kept the nation’s most prolific offense off the scoreboard on Friday evening, battling No. 1 SMU to a scoreless draw in a windy affair at Washburne Stadium. The Cardinal backline stymied an SMU attack that entered the contest with an NCAA-best 3.09 goals per game and a conference-leading 18.27 shots per game, limiting the Mustangs to just three shots on the evening. Five different Cardinal recorded a shot in the contest, with Yujin Kikuchi recording the best look of the contest with a goal-bound attack that was saved by an SMU defender. Goalkeeper Rowan Schnebly tallied a save in the 48th minute to help Stanford secure its fifth clean sheet of the season.
COMEBACK CARDINAL » Three second-half scores powered No. 14 Stanford to a 3-2 road win at Duke on Oct. 2, the Cardinal’s first ACC victory of the season. Trailing by two in the second half, Jack Pymm and Alex Chow delivered goals in a span of 37 seconds in the 58th minute to knot up the match. The winner was an own goal off a Stanford corner kick in the 77th minute. Pymm’s inswinger to Aidan Reilly was deflected off the back of a Blue Devil defender and into the back of the net. Save the two goals allowed, it was a dominant performance for the Cardinal. Stanford had 21 shots to Duke’s four, nine of them on goal, and nine corner kicks to the Blue Devils’ one.
STANFORD IN THE RANKINGS » Stanford enters the week ranked No. 10 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll and received votes in the United Soccer Coaches rankings. The Cardinal spent four weeks as the top-ranked program in the country earlier this season, marking the fourth consecutive year that Stanford has climbed to the top of the national polls. Stanford held the top spot for an NCAA-leading five weeks in 2025, finishing 14-4-2 last season and advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
GREAT UNDER GUNN » One of four coaches to win NCAA titles in both Division I and Division II, head coach Jeremy Gunn has led Stanford to the College Cup final four times since 2015. He and Virginia’s Bruce Arena (1991-94) are the only coaches to win three consecutive NCAA men’s soccer championships. His teams are 180-60-57 (.702) in his 15 seasons on The Farm and he owns a career record of 366-120-87 (.715) in 28 seasons, a mark which ranks him seventh among active D-I head coaches by win percentage. Gunn’s 366 victories rank 10th among active D-I head coaches by win total.
HOME SWEET HOME » The Cardinal has developed one of the strongest home-field advantages in the country at Cagan Stadium, holding a 335-135-76 (.683) record on The Farm since the 1973 season, including a 111-29-30 (.741) record under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. Gunn is the first head coach in program history to reach 100 victories at Cagan Stadium. Stanford has started the 2026 campaign with a 6-3-0 record at Cagan Stadium, following up on an unbeaten 9-0-1 home mark last season in which the Cardinal rattled off a program-record nine consecutive home wins to start the year.
SPREADING THE WEALTH » Through 13 matches, Stanford has had eight different players find the back of the net and 13 Cardinal players contributing to the scoresheet. Jack Pymm leads the scoring with six goals, followed by Jayden Fitzgerald Boes and Logan Tsopanoglou with five scores each and Alex Chow with three. Eric Frintu, Yujin Kikuchi, Joshua Partal and Calder Zirn have also found the back of the net. Stanford had 11 different goal scorers in 2025, with 14 players recording at least one point. Trevor Islam paced last year’s group with six goals, while Partal dished out a team-leading six assists.
TEAM STATISTICAL SUCCESS » Stanford has outpaced its opponents in every major offensive category in 2026 thus far, holding an advantage in goals (24-16), shots (221-105), shots on goal (86-43), shots per game (17-8.1), assists (13-9) and corner kicks (73-33). The Cardinal also held the statistical edge in each major offensive category in both of the last two seasons.
DEPTH ON DISPLAY » Stanford has showcased its depth throughout the 2026 campaign, with 18 different players making at least one start through the first 13 matches of the season, matching the most for the Cardinal since 2012. Aidan Reilly and Rowan Schnebly have started every match for Stanford this season while 11 different Stanford players have made their first career starts this season.
VOLUME SHOOTER » Jack Pymm has had eyes for the net to start the 2026 campaign, leading the conference with 4.33 shots per game through the first 13 matches. Pymm recorded 13 shots, an NCAA single-game high this season, and six shots on goal against Denver on Aug. 23. Pymm’s 13-shot performance is the most on record in Stanford history and the highest single-game total by a Division I men’s player since James Madison’s Manuel Ferriol recorded 14 shots in 2019. His six shots on frame are also a Stanford single-game high, dating back to at least the 2001 season. A TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI Second Team selection, Pymm has recorded a career-best six goals, including five from the penalty spot, after establishing himself as a formidable scoring threat with four goals during his freshman campaign.
FRESHMAN FIREPOWER » Logan Tsopanoglou has wasted no time making his mark in his first season on The Farm, tied for second on the team in goals (5) and points (11). Tsopanoglou has netted three game-winners this season and recorded a brace in just his second career match against Denver on Aug. 23, the earliest multi-goal performance by a freshman since Jim Talluto’s second career game in 1989. His five goals are the most by a Stanford freshman since Shane De Flores buried eight goals in 2022, while his early-season brace marked the second straight season a freshman has scored two goals through two games, after Jack Pymm scored in each of his first two matches.
FITZ THE BILL » Cardinal freshman Jayden Fitzgerald Boes delivered a performance for the record books in a 4–0 victory over CSUN on Sept. 7, scoring three goals in the 11th, 19th, and 61st minutes. The hat trick was just the 16th three-goal performance in program history and Stanford’s first since 2012, when Adam Jahn scored three times in a 6–1 rout of California. Fitzgerald Boes is also the first Cardinal freshman to accomplish the feat since Matt Janusz scored all three goals in a 3–1 NCAA Tournament third-round victory over Santa Clara on Nov. 25, 2001. The hat trick earned Fitzgerald Boes ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and he has since followed up that performance with goals against Santa Clara and #5 Clemson to hold a share of second on the team in goals (5) and points (11).
HAT TRICK HEROES » A remarkable series of events unfolded earlier this season across the Stanford soccer programs, as Jayden Fitzgerald Boes and Cardinal women’s soccer’s Jaden Thomas each recorded a hat trick within 24 hours of one another. Thomas tallied three goals and an assist in Stanford’s 4-0 victory over Santa Clara on Sept. 6. The duo became the first Cardinal man and woman to record a hat trick in the same season since Jamie Clark and Tracye Lawyer both accomplished the feat on October 27, 1996. Clark tallied all three goals in a 3-1 victory over UC Santa Barbara, while Lawyer lifted the Cardinal to a 3-1 win over Washington in the second game of a doubleheader at Maloney Field.
INTERNATIONAL FORTIER » Incoming freshman Tim Fortier brings significant international experience to The Farm, recently representing Team Canada in the CONCACAF U20 Championship. Fortier, who has represented the Canadian National Team at three different age levels, tallied an assist in a victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands in the group stage. Canada went on to reach the semifinals before ultimately falling to host nation and eventual champion Mexico. Fortier has started 11 of the first 13 matches of his career, tallying assists against Santa Clara and Virginia so far this season.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT » Stanford’s freshman class has made an immediate impact through 13 matches, with five different freshmen earning starts: Yujin Kikuchi, Tim Fortier, Jayden Fitzgerald Boes, Logan Tsopanoglou and Hugo Berg. The group has accounted for 11 of Stanford’s 24 goals (45.8 percent) and 28 of the Cardinal’s 56 points (50.0 percent), with contributions coming from across the class. Five freshmen have combined for 11 goals and three assists, giving the Cardinal one of its most productive freshman classes in recent memory.
EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THE POSTS » Rowan Schnebly enters his final collegiate season as one of the program’s top goalkeepers in recent memory, coming off a 2025 season in which he set career highs in saves (42) and save percentage (.712). Now a four-year starter in Stanford’s net, Schnebly owns a 39-15-14 career record in net, ranking fifth in program history in shutouts (21) and sixth in career goals-against average (0.97). Schnebly has tallied 25 saves through 13 matches this season, recording clean sheets against No. 2 San Diego, San Jose State, Santa Clara, and No. 1 SMU, as well as 71 minutes of shutout action in a 4-0 victory over CSUN.
ALL EYES ON GROENEVELD » Entering his senior season, Dylan Groeneveld has emerged as a fixture on the Cardinal back line, starting all 35 of his appearances over the previous two seasons. The Coronado, Calif., native’s steady veteran presence helped anchor a defense that posted seven clean sheets last year, earning him a spot on the ACC Preseason Watch List ahead of his final season on The Farm. Groeneveld played full time in seven matches this season and has led the Cardinal to five clean sheets, earning a spot on the MAC Hermann Midseason Watch List and ranked No. 55 in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top 100.
HELPING HAND » Joshua Partal emerged as a dynamic presence in the Cardinal midfield during his freshman campaign, starting all 20 matches with a team-leading six assists in 2025. A consistent creative threat both from set pieces and in the run of play, Partal earned TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week honors (Sept. 23) and an All-ACC Freshman Team selection at the end of the season. Partal opened his 2026 account with an assist at San Jose State and scored his first career goal against CSUN.
TOP PLAYERS PLAY ON THE FARM » Stanford boasts five players on TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Top 100 players list, tied with Portland for the most in the nation. Jack Pymm led the Cardinal as the No. 22 player in the country, followed by No. 61 Joshua Partal, No. 64 Dylan Groeneveld, No. 90 Alex Chow, and No. 98 TJ Kahoalii. Pymm was also named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Best XI Second Team, while Tim Fortier garnered Preseason Best XI Freshman Team honors.
CARDINAL IN THE PROS » Success on The Farm has translated to the professional level, with nine former Cardinal competing in Major League Soccer this season: Corey Baird, Tanner Beason, Ousseni Bouda, Will Cleary, Keegan Hughes, Jordan Morris, Will Reilly, Gabe Segal, and Andrew Thomas. Stanford is also well represented across other professional leagues, with Tomo Allen, Fletcher Bank, Palmer Bank, Zach Bohane, and Shane De Flores competing in MLS NEXT Pro, while Noah Adnan, Mark Fisher, Jackson Kiil, and Keegan Tingey play in the United Soccer League.
HOME OF CHAMPIONS » Stanford is the all-time leader with 139 NCAA team championships (71 men, 68 women), and 173 national championships overall. The Cardinal owns the most recognizable streak in college athletics, capturing at least one NCAA team championship for 50 consecutive seasons in a streak that dates back to the 1976-77 season. The Cardinal has also produced 576 NCAA national champions and 658 individual champions overall. Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 32 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019.
CELEBRATING THE DYNASTY » The Cardinal celebrated college soccer’s most recent dynasty on Sept. 25 vs. Virginia, commemorating its historic run of three consecutive NCAA Championships from 2015-17. Just the second three-peat in NCAA men’s soccer history, Stanford defeated Clemson (4-0), Wake Forest (0-0, 5-4 PKs), and Indiana (1-0, 2OT) in the College Cup finals. The Cardinal went 13-0-2 during its title runs, outscoring opponents 24-3 with 12 consecutive shutouts in NCAA Tournament play. 2015-17 marked the most dominant stretch in program history, with Stanford recording a 52-7-10 overall record with three Pac-12 titles.
2025 REVISITED » Stanford remained at the forefront of the college soccer landscape during the 2025 season, leading the country with five weeks at No. 1 in the national polls and advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. A stout defensive unit and a balanced attack told the story of the season, as the Cardinal relied on a mix of veteran leadership and emerging young talent. Stanford went 14-4-2 overall, finishing second in the ACC regular-season standings before advancing to the postseason for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons. The Cardinal went 1-1 in its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance, defeating Kansas City 1-0 in the NCAA second round before ultimately falling in the Round of 16.
ACADEMIC WEAPONS » Stanford got it done both on the pitch and in the classroom in 2025, being honored by the United Soccer Coaches with the 2025-26 College Team Academic Award. The Cardinal boasted a 3.65 grade point average, tied with Louisville for the highest GPA in the ACC. Additionally, 11 student-athletes earned All-ACC Academic Team selections, while Fletcher Bank, Zach Bohane, and Will Cleary earned Academic All-America recognition from College Sports Communicators.
YEAR THREE IN THE ACC » Stanford outperformed expectations after being picked fifth in the 2025 ACC preseason poll, compiling a 5-2-1 record to finish second in the regular-season conference table. Following first-time conference matchups against Boston College, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, the Cardinal has now played each of its 14 league opponents, compiling an 8-4-4 conference record through its first two seasons in the ACC. Now entering its third year in the ACC, there is still room for some firsts between Stanford and its league opponents, as Clemson and Virginia make their first appearances at Cagan Stadium while the Cardinal makes its first visits to Duke, North Carolina and NC State.
CONFERENCE DOMINANCE » The ACC has proven to be the pinnacle of the sport with eight ACC programs having won an NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, the most of any conference. Virginia leads the league with seven national titles, followed by Clemson (4), Stanford (3), North Carolina (2), Duke (1), Notre Dame (1), Syracuse (1), and Wake Forest (1). Six active ACC head coaches have won D-I national championships, including Jeremy Gunn, Mike Noonan (Clemson), Carlos Somoano (North Carolina), Jay Vidovich (Pittsburgh), Ian McIntyre (Syracuse), and George Gelnovatch (Virginia). NC State’s Marc Hubbard won a D-II national title in 2013.
ACC IN THE RANKINGS » Six ACC programs were ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll on October 20, including three in the top 10, tied with the Big Ten for the most in Division I soccer in both categories. SMU leads the conference as the top-ranked program in the country, followed by No. 3 Clemson, No. 10 Louisville, No. 15 Wake Forest, No. 16 North Carolina and No. 27 Pittsburgh. Stanford also received national recognition with five points in the coaches poll.
ACC IN THE TOURNAMENT » Nine ACC programs earned berths to the 2025 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, including four among the 16 national seeds. No. 2 Virginia, No. 5 SMU, No. 12 Stanford, and No. 15 NC State each received first-round byes, while Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Syracuse also secured bids. The ACC’s nine tournament teams were the most of any league and tied for the second-most in tournament history. NC State led the conference with a College Cup final appearance, while Stanford and Duke reached the Round of 16. The ACC has won the men’s soccer national championship 20 times, with at least one program reaching the College Cup in 23 of the last 25 seasons.
POSTSEASON REGULARS » Stanford’s 2025 NCAA tournament bid marked the Cardinal’s 12th appearance in the NCAA tournament in the last 13 seasons and its 23rd NCAA tournament appearance overall. The Cardinal has made seven College Cups, most recently in 2019, along with five College Cup Finals and three NCAA Championships (2015-17).
A CHALLENGING SLATE » With the 2026 season coming to a close, Stanford has navigated a challenging portion of its schedule, posting a 3-3-2 record against teams that qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal’s 2026 slate features matchups against 10 NCAA Tournament teams, tied with Duke for the most among ACC programs. Stanford’s eight matchups to date include wins over No. 21 Grand Canyon, Denver and No. 2 San Diego, draws against North Carolina and No. 1 SMU, and losses to No. 20 Notre Dame, Virginia and No. 5 Clemson. With seven matches behind them, Stanford awaits NC State on the road this weekend as the Cardinal looks to finalize its postseason résumé against one of the nation’s most challenging schedules.
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK » NC State enters Saturday’s ACC contest at 5-5-4 overall and 1-3-2 in conference play under head coach Marc Hubbard. The Wolfpack has outscored opponents 22-18 through 14 matches, recording four shutouts. Aidan Payne leads NC State offensively with seven goals and one assist for a team-high 15 points, while Russell Berko has added five goals. Malcolm Rangon and Tyler Caton have each contributed two goals, while Ervin Cruz and Caden Tolentino share the team lead with three assists apiece. In goal, Samuel Terranova has anchored the defense, recording 28 saves and helping the Wolfpack post four shutouts.
NOW AND LATER » Stanford makes its first visit to Raleigh this weekend as a member of the ACC, taking on the defending College Cup finalist NC State on Oct. 24 at 3 p.m. PT. Following its matchup with the Wolfpack, the Cardinal returns to Cagan Stadium to close the regular season against California in the Big Clasico on Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. PT, celebrating Senior Night against its Bay Area rival.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS » Stanford will host its final regular-season home match on October 30, welcoming California to Cagan Stadium for the Big Clasico. Join us for Senior Night as we celebrate our seniors and spend your Friday on The Farm for a rivalry showdown as the Cardinal looks to beat the Bears. Can’t come out for the regular season finale? Stay tuned for updates regarding postseason competition returning to Cagan Stadium.