SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2026
12-SEED STANFORD CARDINAL (9-4-3) vs. 13-SEED SYRACUSE ORANGE 7-7-3)
Stanford, Calif. | Cagan Stadium | 3 p.m. | ACC Network Extra
MATCH NOTES » Stanford’s postseason run continues with the second round of the ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament, as the 12-seed Cardinal will host the 13th-seeded Syracuse Orange at Cagan Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Following a road victory over No. 8 Louisville in the first round, the Cardinal looks poised for its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in the last 14 seasons under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. Meanwhile, Syracuse looks to keep its season alive in hopes of securing a second consecutive NCAA tournament berth. The lone meeting between these two programs saw a dramatic finish, as Fletcher Bank and Trevor Islam each scored goals in the final ten minutes to give Stanford a comeback 3-2 victory in Syracuse on Sept. 13, 2025.
LAST TIME OUT » A dramatic late goal from Jayden Fitzgerald Boes lifted 12-seed Stanford to a 2-1 victory over fifth-seeded Louisville in Wednesday evening’s first-round matchup, delivering a statement win over a Cardinals side ranked eighth nationally. After Louisville found an equalizer in the 87th minute, Stanford responded with a perfect through ball from Trevor Islam that found a striding Fitzgerald Boes, who buried a finish from the right side to restore the Cardinal lead in the closing moments. Victor Fung opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, heading home a service from Joshua Partal, who recorded an assist in his first action since Sept. 28. Rowan Schnebly tallied two saves between the posts as the Cardinal secured an ACC Tournament first-round victory for the third consecutive season.
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 182-61-58 (.701) in his 15 seasons on The Farm and he owns a career record of 368-120-88 (.715) in 28 seasons, a mark which ranks him seventh among active D-I head coaches by win percentage. Gunn’s 368 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 a 6-4-0 record at Cagan Stadium during the 2026 campaign, 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 » The regular season saw nine different Stanford players find the back of the net and 18 Cardinal players contributing to the scoresheet. Jayden Fitzgerald Boes leads the scoring with seven goals, followed by Jack Pymm (6), Logan Tsopanoglou (5), Alex Chow (3) and Calder Zirn (2) with multiple goals. Victor Fung, Eric Frintu, Yujin Kikuchi and Joshua Partal round out the scorers with one goal each. 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, holding an advantage in goals (28-21), shots (259-144), shots on goal (102-54), shots per game (16.2-9.0), assists (19-14) and corner kicks (85-51). 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 15 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.
THE POWER OF TWO » The Cardinal has been exceptionally difficult to beat under Jeremy Gunn when scoring multiple goals in a game, holding a 133-4-17 (.919) record in such matches. Of those four losses, two of them came this season against Virginia (Sept. 25), and Clemson (Oct. 11), snapping a five-year unbeaten streak when scoring multiple goals. The Cardinal is 6-2-1 this season when scoring at least twice after finishing 11-0-1 in such matches last year.
POISE ON THE PENALTY SPOT » Postseason play marks the return of penalty kicks an area in which the Cardinal has plenty of experience under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. Coach Gunn has compiled a remarkable 10-2 record in postseason matches decided by penalty kicks since his arrival on The Farm, along with a 14-3 all-time record across his three head coaching stops (Stanford, Charlotte, and Fort Lewis College). The Cardinal last saw penalty kicks in the 2024 postseason where it went 1-1, prevailing over UC Santa Barbara before falling to top-seeded Ohio State. Stanford is 6-of-8 on penalty kicks this season.
VOLUME SHOOTER » Jack Pymm has had eyes for the net throughout the 2026 campaign, sitting second in the conference and ninth nationally with 3.93 shots per game in the regular season. 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. Ranked No. 11 in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top 100, 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.
FITZ THE BILL » Cardinal freshman Jayden Fitzgerald Boes has emerged as one of the nation’s top young attacking talents, leading Stanford with seven goals and sharing the team lead in game-winning goals (3). Fitzgerald Boes burst onto the scene with a historic hat trick in a 4-0 victory over CSUN on Sept. 7, scoring in the 11th, 19th, and 61st minutes. The performance marked just the 16th three-goal outing in program history and Stanford’s first since 2012, while making Fitzgerald Boes the first Cardinal freshman to accomplish the feat since Matt Janusz in 2001. The hat trick earned Fitzgerald Boes ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and he has continued to deliver in key moments, finding the back of the net against Santa Clara, No. 5 Clemson, and NC State in the regular season and delivering the deciding goal in Wednesday’s ACC first round matchup at No. 8 Louisville.
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.
FRESHMAN FIREPOWER » Logan Tsopanoglou has wasted no time making his mark in his first season on The Farm, sitting third 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 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.
INTERNATIONAL FORTIER » 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 15 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 in its debut season, with five different freshmen earning starts: Yujin Kikuchi, Tim Fortier, Jayden Fitzgerald Boes, Logan Tsopanoglou and Hugo Berg. The group has accounted for 15 of Stanford’s 28 goals (53.5 percent) and 35 of the Cardinal’s 75 points (46.6 percent), with contributions coming from across the class. Five freshmen have combined for 15 goals and five 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 40-16-15 career record in net, ranking fifth in program history in shutouts (21) and seventh in career goals-against average (1.004). Schnebly has tallied 31 saves 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 eight matches this season and has led the Cardinal to five clean sheets, earning a spot on the MAC Hermann Midseason Watch List and ranking 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 and leading the team with six assists in 2025. A consistent creative threat 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 season’s end. Partal opened his 2026 account with an assist at San Jose State and scored his first career goal against CSUN before an injury sidelined him. Making his return to action in the opening round of the ACC Tournament against Louisville, Partal immediately made an impact, recording an assist in his first appearance since Sept. 28.
REGULAR SEASON REWIND » Four weeks at the top of the national polls and an eight-match unbeaten streak to open the campaign highlighted an 8-4-3 regular season for Stanford, facing one of the nation’s toughest schedules that featured ten programs that qualified for the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament last season. Jack Pymm and Jayden Fitzgerald Boes led the Cardinal scoring with six goals and 13 points each, while captains Dylan Groeneveld and Rowan Schnebly led Stanford’s defensive unit to five clean sheets on the season. Stanford was particularly impressive on the road, going unbeaten in five matches away from The Farm.
TOP PLAYERS PLAY ON THE FARM » Stanford boasts five players on TopDrawerSoccer’s Midseason Top 100 lists, announced last week. Jack Pymm (No. 11) and Dylan Groeneveld (No. 55) earned spots on the National Top 100, while Tim Fortier (No. 26), Jayden Fitzgerald Boes (No. 59), and Logan Tsopanoglou (No. 94) were recognized on the Freshman Top 100. The Cardinal also tied for the national lead with five players on TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Top 100. Pymm led the way at No. 22, followed by Joshua Partal (No. 61), Groeneveld (No. 64), Alex Chow (No. 90), and TJ Kahoalii (No. 98).
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.
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 November 3, 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 second-ranked program in the country, followed by No. 3 Clemson, No. 8 Louisville, No. 15 Wake Forest, No. 17 North Carolina and No. 20 Pittsburgh to round out the ACC’s ranked programs.
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 regular season coming to a close, Stanford has navigated a challenging portion of its schedule, posting a 4-3-3 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 ten matchups included wins over No. 21 Grand Canyon, Denver, No. 2 San Diego, and Duke, draws against North Carolina, No. 1 SMU, and NC State and losses to No. 20 Notre Dame, Virginia and No. 5 Clemson. The Cardinal currently ranks 14th in the RPI, looking to improve its postseason résumé in the ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament, which has already seen a victory over No. 8 Louisville.
FIRST ROUND FRENZY » The 2026 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship delivered a chaotic opening round, with four lower seeds advancing and all seven matches decided by one goal or penalty kicks. Four contests went to penalty kicks, setting a tournament record for most shootouts in a single day. No. 13 Syracuse matched the lowest seed ever to reach the quarterfinals, while No. 9 Virginia, No. 11 NC State and No. 7 North Carolina also advanced. Stanford secured a 2-1 road victory over No. 5 Louisville, earning the right to host No. 13 Syracuse in Sunday’s quarterfinal at Cagan Stadium. The matchup marks the second consecutive season in which the No. 12 and No. 13 seeds will meet in the ACC quarterfinals.
SCOUTING THE ORANGE » Syracuse enters Sunday’s ACC Championship quarterfinal matchup at 7-7-3 overall and 1-5-2 in conference play under head coach Ian McIntyre. The No. 13 seed Orange have outscored opponents 26-17 through 17 matches, averaging 1.53 goals per game. Senior forward Bryson Rodriguez leads Syracuse with six goals and 14 points, while Pedro Gulli has added four goals and Kristjan Fortier has contributed three goals and two assists. Midfielder Sachiel Ming paces the Orange with six assists, adding a goal for eight points. In goal, Juan Martinez-Bastidas has anchored the Syracuse defense, recording 42 saves, a .808 save percentage, a 0.82 goals-against average and five shutouts across 12 starts. The Orange are coming off a dramatic first-round triumph over No. 4 Pittsburgh, advancing 7-6 on penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 draw through 110 minutes.
NOW AND LATER » Stanford hosts the ACC Men’s Soccer Tournament with a second-round matchup against No. 13 seed Syracuse on Sunday. The match will be televised live on ACC Network at 3 p.m. PT with Glenn Davis and Michael Lahoud on the call. The winner of Sunday’s contest will face the winner of the matchup between No. 1 SMU and No. 9 Virginia in the ACC semifinals on Nov. 12. The ACC semifinals and championship game will be played at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C, where the conference champion will be crowned on Nov. 15.