SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2026
#9 STANFORD CARDINAL (1-0-0) vs. DENVER PIONEERS (0-0-1)
Cagan Stadium | Stanford, Calif.
MATCH NOTES » No. 9 Stanford hosts Denver on Sunday in the ninth all-time meeting between the programs, with the Cardinal holding a 6-1-1 advantage in the series, including a 3-1-1 mark under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. It is the third consecutive season the two programs have met, with Stanford earning a 2-1 victory over the Pioneers last season in a thriller between two top-15 teams. Both programs rank among the nation’s top six in victories since 2015, with Stanford fifth nationally with 141 wins, followed by Denver with 136. Stanford also looks to extend an 11-match unbeaten streak in regular season matches at Cagan Stadium, where the Cardinal has gone 10-0-1 since the 2025 season opener.
LAST TIME OUT » No. 9 Stanford used two second-half goals to secure a 2-1 ranked victory over No. 21 Grand Canyon on Thursday evening. After a scoreless opening frame, Eric Frintu broke the tie in the 50th minute with a bicycle-kick goal off a TJ Kahoalii delivery into the box. Grand Canyon equalized moments later, but Alex Chow converted the game-winner in the 71st minute, fighting through a Lopes defender before bending a left-footed strike into the top corner from outside the box. Rowan Schnebly impressed with four saves, one shy of his career-high, while eight players made their first appearances in a Cardinal uniform. Grand Canyon finished the night with a narrow 16-15 edge in shots, while Stanford earned seven corner kicks to the Lopes’ zero.
SEASON OPENING SUCCESS » Following Thursday’s 2-1 win over Grand Canyon, Stanford now boasts a 33-10-11 record in regular season openers since 1973, including a 9-3-3 mark under Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. The Cardinal has won six straight season openers at Cagan Stadium, averaging 2.83 goals per game with a +18 goal differential.
A PERFECT PRESEASON » The Cardinal opened the 2026 campaign with an undefeated preseason at Cagan Stadium, earning exhibition victories over CSU Bakersfield, Sacramento State and Cal Poly. Stanford outscored its opponents 6-1 across the three matches, with 24 different Cardinal players seeing action. The Cardinal defense was particularly impressive, limiting opponents to just 13 shots across the three exhibitions, including only four on target.
STANFORD IN THE RANKINGS » Stanford opens the season ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll and No. 10 in the TopDrawerSoccer rankings. The Cardinal finished 14-4-2 in 2025 and will look to build on the momentum of advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.
RETURNING CARDINAL » The Cardinal returns a strong contingent of experienced contributors for the 2026 season, led by senior captains Rowan Schnebly and Dylan Groeneveld. The duo has helped Stanford to 34 victories and three NCAA Tournament appearances over the last three years, with the Cardinal reaching the No. 1 ranking in the national polls in each of those seasons. Stanford also returns its 2025 leading scorer, Trevor Islam, along with midfielders Alex Chow, Joshua Partal, and Jack Pymm, who each started all 20 matches a season ago.
FRESH FACES ON THE FARM » For the second consecutive season, the Cardinal welcomes the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class, according to TopDrawerSoccer. The 10-player 2026 class features five players ranked among the nation’s Top 200, including No. 57 Hugo Berg, No. 82 Maximo Nystrom, No. 92 Yujin Kikuchi, No. 119 Jayden Fitzgerald Boes, and No. 165 Logan Tsopanoglou. The class also includes Bennett Ewing, Tim Fortier, Alex Ling, Carson Sagely, and Calder Zirn. Stanford also brings in a pair of impact transfers in midfielders TJ Kahoalii and Tim Logan.
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 174-57-55 (.705) in his 15 seasons on The Farm and he owns a career record of 360-117-85 (.716) in 28 seasons, a mark which ranks him seventh among active D-I head coaches by win percentage. Gunn’s 360 victories rank 11th 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 330-132-76 (.684) record on The Farm since the 1973 season, including a 106-26-30 (.747) 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 began the 2026 campaign with a 2-1 victory over Grand Canyon, following up an unbeaten 9-0-1 home record last season in which the Cardinal rattled off a program-record nine consecutive home wins to start the year.
TEAM STATISTICAL SUCCESS » Stanford outpaced its opponents in every statistical category in 2025, holding an advantage in goals (37-17), shots (382-147), shots on goal (144-58), shots per game (19.1-7.35), assists (28-14), and corner kicks (147-60). The Cardinal has now held the statistical edge in each major offensive category in each of the last two seasons and looks to continue that success heading into the new campaign.
GAME OF OPPORTUNITIES » Stanford’s ability to maintain the edge on both sides of the ball was pivotal to the Cardinal’s success in 2025. On the attacking end, the Cardinal’s ACC-leading 18.89 shots per game and 7.32 shots on goal per game both finished in the top seven nationally. Defensively, Stanford tallied seven shutouts and allowed just 147 shots on the season, finishing with the fewest attacks allowed since the 2020 team allowed just 71 shots during the COVID-shortened campaign.
SPREADING THE WEALTH » Stanford had a balanced approach on offense last season, with 11 different goal scorers and 14 total Cardinal contributing to the scoresheet. Trevor Islam leads the Cardinal with six goals, followed by five goals from Zach Bohane and Fletcher Bank, Will Cleary, and Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas each tallying four scores. Stanford will look to its returning contributors and a new supporting cast to continue its balanced offensive attack in 2026, as was on display on Thursday with Eric Frintu and Alex Chow each tallying their first goals of the year in the victory.
THE POWER OF TWO » The Cardinal has been virtually unbeatable under Jeremy Gunn when scoring multiple goals in a game, holding a record of 128-2-16 (.931) under Gunn in such matches. The Cardinal is already 1-0 this season under those circumstances, adding to last season’s 11-0-1 record in games with multiple goals. The lone non-victory in 2025 was a 2-2 draw at San Jose State. Stanford’s last loss while scoring two goals came on April 10, 2021, a 3-2 road defeat at Oregon State.
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 31-12-12 career record in net, ranking fifth in program history in shutouts (18) and sixth in career goals-against average (0.91). Schnebly tallied four saves in Thursday’s season opener, one short of his career-high.
ALL EYES ON GROENEVELD » Entering his senior season, Dylan Groeneveld has grown into a mainstay of the Cardinal defense, starting each of his 35 appearances over the last two seasons. The Coronado, Calif., native’s veteran presence helped guide the Cardinal defense to seven clean sheets last season, putting the conference on notice as an ACC Preseason Watch List selection ahead of his final season on The Farm.
STORYBOOK SEASON » After joining the program as a walk-on in 2024, Trevor Islam enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, emerging as the Cardinal’s leading scorer. It was a season of firsts for Islam, who recorded his first career brace (Aug. 21 vs. Sacramento State) and his first one-goal, one-assist performance (Oct. 11 vs. Pittsburgh). The Mill Valley, Calif., native finished the season with career highs in goals (6), points (15), game-winning goals (2), shots (30), and shots on goal (19).
PYMM IS HIM » Jack Pymm established himself as a formidable scoring threat in his debut collegiate season, finding the back of the net four times to share fourth on the team in scoring in 2025. Pymm started all 20 matches as a true freshman and earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors at the conclusion of the year. He enters his sophomore campaign poised to take another step forward as a key contributor for the Cardinal, earning national recognition with a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI Second Team following his impressive freshman season.
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 on Sept. 23 and was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team at the conclusion of the season. He returns for his sophomore campaign as Stanford’s top facilitator in an experienced midfield.
KA-CHOW » Arriving on The Farm as a San Jose Earthquakes academy product, Alex Chow has carved out a prominent role in the Cardinal lineup throughout his career. After making eight starts as a freshman, Chow started every match last season and recorded a career-best 25 shots, scoring his first collegiate goal against Boston College. Now entering 2026 as a veteran leader for a young Stanford roster, Chow is already off to a hot start, scoring the game-winner vs. Grand Canyon on Thursday.
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. Now, Fortier heads into his debut collegiate season after being named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Best XI Freshman Team.
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 1976-1977 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 will celebrate college soccer’s most recent dynasty this season, 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 finished 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.
LEADING THE RANKINGS » Four ACC programs were featured in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, the most of any conference, including two in the top ten. NC State opens the season ranked second in the country, followed by No. 9 Stanford, No. 11 Virginia, and No. 15 SMU, with North Carolina and Duke also receiving votes. The ACC leads a college soccer landscape that features plenty of depth, with 13 different conferences having at least one representative in the rankings.
ACC IN THE TOURNAMENT » Nine ACC programs earned berths into 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).