Victorious Spring Start

STANFORD, Calif. – For the first time in over four months the Stanford men’s soccer team took the field against someone other than itself, opening up its spring schedule with a 3-0 win over Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Saturday evening.

Goals from Mark Verso (3’), Foster Langsdorf (71’) and Jordan Morris (81’) did the damage as the Cardinal had its first taste of victory since clinching the program’s Pac-12 Championship with a thrilling double-overtime victory at California last November.

“The players love to play,” head coach Jeremy Gunn said. “We all love to play games and if we could choose, we’d play games all the time rather than train, but the last couple of months have been invaluable. We’ve been able to focus on many different individual things and really work on some team concepts as well.”

The Cardinal played on Saturday and then stayed the night, enjoying some time at Avila Beach on Sunday which featured a game of cricket, before heading back to campus.

In the match, Stanford pressed from the start and was rewarded in the third minute when midfield Ty Thompson headed one back in front of goal. A scramble ensued and the ball fell to Mark Verso, who buried the shot to put the Cardinal on the board.

“[Mark’s goal] followed up from a few phases of chances and constant pressure,” Gunn said. “It was a great reward for a wonderful start to the game. We really got out on the front foot and were looking to score from the whistle.”

Andrew Epstein, the conference’s 2014 leader in goals against average (0.857), played the first half in goal before giving way to Nico Corti. Epstein made one great save in his 45 minutes of work, but a solid back four anchored by three returning starters in Brandon Vincent, Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Brian Nana-Sinkam limited the Cardinal keepers to largely routine work.

Stanford continued to exert control as the game went on, eventually breaking through again in the 71^st minute. Morris joined with Thompson to pinch a Cal Poly player and win the ball. Thompson drove right at a defender, committed him and slipped it forward to Foster Langsdorf, who put home a first-time finish to the far post.

“It was wonderful team defending to win possession,” Gunn said of the second goal. “And then Thommo [Thompson] did fantastic with how he drove at the back four and through the defender. He slipped Foster who then had a wonderful finish where he drilled it hard and low to the far post.”

Minutes later, Slater Meehan won the ball at midfield and played it wide to Morris, who drove hard at his man. The forward, who received his fourth call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team on Sunday, drove on the goal, drew the keeper out attempting to smother the shot and neatly chipped it over to the back of the net in the 81^st minute.

The spring start was welcome for a Stanford squad which returns a large portion of its production from a season ago, while at the same time attempts to fill some holes left by the graduation of its decorated senior class.

Starters Bobby Edwards, Austin Meyer, Jimmy Callinan and Zach Batteer are gone, but the Cardinal welcomes back two All-Americans, two more All-Region performers and six of its eight All-Pac-12 picks. Stanford, the only school with two NSCAA First Team All-Americans in 2014, has both back in the fold (Morris and Vincent).

“We’re working on so many things,” Gunn said of his focus for the team this spring. “We want the returning players to mature and refine their game. It’s also a great opportunity for players who didn’t see as much time [last season] to prove themselves.

“What’s great is we have a big spring squad and we’re spoiled for choices in different positions. As a result there’s great competition in many, many places which has raised our training standard. Going into the first game, trying to deliberate who should start and who deserved the lion’s share of the minutes was a really tough job.”

The spring proving ground is vital for a Cardinal program coming off its best season in over a decade and its first Pac-12 Championship since 2001. Stanford, which won 13 games for the first time since 2002 (17) and also achieved a No. 1 NSCAA ranking (Nov. 18), is fully aware that with improved play comes increased expectations.

“I think it’s been very good,” Gunn commented on Stanford’s mentality. “You’re always dealing with different challenges depending on where you are in the lifecycle of a team. When you’re first starting out and you’re struggling, you’re unsure. Now we have confidence and great ability as a group.

“The big thing is managing expectations. Lots of people expect us to be very good, but we’re only ever going to be any good if we keep the same work ethic and the same drive. That’s the biggest challenge that we have.”

Stanford’s home spring slate starts against Santa Clara on Saturday, April 18 at 4 p.m. On April 25, CSUN (1 p.m.) and Sonoma State (3 p.m.) come to The Farm while UC Davis is in town on Sunday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Each of Stanford’s home matches this spring except for one will take place on Ueland Field directly adjacent to Cagan Stadium and are free and open to the public. The game against UC Davis will be held under the lights at Steuber Rugby Stadium adjacent to softball's Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium.