After 10 years without a victory against Cal at Edwards Stadium, the Stanford men’s soccer team made its way across the Bay on Friday, hopeful but wary about its last match of the season. With a 3-0 win, the Cardinal (6-10-2, 3-6-1 Pac-12) ended its season on a high note, finally winning a road game and leaving positive signs for the team’s future.
Stanford scored just 10 minutes into the game, setting the standard for the high level of play that would follow for the next 35 minutes. After receiving a switched ball from junior forward Adam Jahn, redshirt senior midfielder Garrett Gunther dribbled and took a shot at the Bears’ redshirt freshman goalie Kevin Peach. Although he was able to stop the shot, Peach lost the ball and allowed Gunther the opportunity to rush in for a one-touch goal off the rebound.
In what Stanford head coach Bret Simon called “one of the best halves of the season,” the Cardinal kept up the pressure, outshooting Cal 11-2 before the halftime whistle. Redshirt freshman forward Bobby Edwards had a number of consecutive shots on target, two within the same minute, and a third that hit the crossbar. The Card dictated the pace of the game and maintained possession of the ball, but it wasn’t until late in the first half that it finally secured the 2-0 lead.
In the 44th minute, Edwards again created mayhem in the Cal defense when he sprung off a quick counterattack and centered a great through-ball to freshman forward Zach Batteer, who put it in the net for his first collegiate goal. Edwards was a clear pillar for the Card offense during the match. Batteer, who subbed in, praised his teammate’s pass.
“I just made sure I brought energy off the bench, and that in turn allowed me to get in a good spot and tap in an awesome ball from Bobby,” he said.
The third goal came with 20 minutes left in the game. After dribbling a ball from the right side of the field into the center, forcing Peach to come out from goal, Jahn drew a foul in the penalty box. Jahn took the penalty and scored, notching his fourth goal of the season.
Offensively, all three freshmen forwards—Batteer, Edwards and Felipe Noguerol, who also had a shot in the game—made an impact. Gunther capped his Stanford career with his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Defensively, sophomore goalie Drew Hutchins had a great match, clearing several worrisome crosses from in front of the net. Center back and co-captain senior Tommy Ryan also shined.
“Tommy probably played his best game of the season, and perhaps of his career,” Simon said.
Oregon’s loss later that evening secured a fourth-place finish for Stanford in the final Pac-12 standings.
Impressed but not surprised by the results, Simon was pleased with the final match.
“This level of play has been coming,” he said. “Seven of our 11 players were in new positions or had never started before, so it took us a while to find our footing on the season. Fortunately we’ve made a lot of strides and our team finished off very strongly.”
When asked for final reflections on the season, both Batteer and Jahn commented on the difference it made to be psychologically prepared for a match.
“The biggest lesson I take from this season is that the mind is a powerful thing,” Jahn said. “You can have all the talent in the world, but if the team isn’t on the same page, it’s going to be hard to get results.”