STANFORD, Calif. – Following its most successful season of the past decade, the Stanford men’s soccer program announced its spring schedule on Thursday as it prepares for the rigors of defending the Cardinal’s 2014 Pac-12 Championship.
“This spring season will provide our squad with a great opportunity to improve and to learn,” said Stanford head coach Jeremy Gunn, the reigning NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Coach of the Year. “It has been quite a while since the guys got to face someone besides those they see in training. The six opponents we have on the slate will certainly bring the kinds of challenges which will help better prepare our group for future success.”
The Cardinal begins its spring at Cal Poly on Saturday, April 11 (7 p.m.) against a Mustangs side now under the direction of former national team coach Steve Sampson.
Stanford returns for four straight on The Farm beginning with local rival Santa Clara on Saturday, April 18 (4 p.m.). The Cardinal’s only doubleheader takes place on Saturday, April 25 when it hosts both perennial contender CSUN (1 p.m.) and Division II powerhouse Sonoma State (3 p.m.).
When the calendar flips to May, Stanford will play UC Davis on Sunday, May 3 at home (5 p.m.) before making the short trek north to match up with the San Jose Earthquakes’ newly formed PDL affiliate, the Burlingame Dragons, on Saturday, May 9 at 7 p.m.
Each of Stanford’s home matches this spring will take place on Ueland Field directly adjacent to Cagan Stadium and are free and open to the public. Alumni games will take place at 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, May 16.
Stanford had a historic season in 2014, including the program’s first league title since 2001, a No. 1 NSCAA ranking, its most wins (13) since 2002 and its best winning percentage (.763) since 2001. The team went 13-3-3 overall and 6-1-3 in conference to advance to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament. Stanford has posted back-to-back seasons of double-digit wins for the first time since 2001-02.
In 2015 the Cardinal returns a pair of NSCAA/Continental Tire First Team All-Americans in forward Jordan Morris and left back and captain Brandon Vincent. That duo is joined by two of the country’s best freshmen from 2014 in Corey Baird and Tomas Hilliard-Arce. Both made Soccer America All-Freshman squads, Baird was on the NSCAA/Continental Tire All-Far West Region Second Team and Hilliard-Arce made that organization’s All-Far West Region Third Team.
In total, six of Stanford’s eight All-Pac-12 selections from a year ago return, including goalkeeper Andrew Epstein, who orchestrated a Cardinal defense which finished 38th in the nation with a 0.85 goals against average. Epstein’s 0.857 individual goals against average led the conference, was 43rd in the country and seventh in Stanford single-season history.
Also back is redshirt senior Eric Verso, who was second on last season’s squad in both goals (5) and assists (5) and tops in points (15).
2015 Stanford Men's Soccer Spring Schedule
(Home matches in BOLD)
Saturday, April 11 – at Cal Poly – 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 18 – Santa Clara – 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 – CSUN – 1 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 – Sonoma State – 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 3 – UC Davis – 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 9 – at Burlingame Dragons – 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 – Alumni Games – 10 a.m. and noon
