No. 5 Stanford (12-1-2, 5-1-1 Pac-12) is set to play Oregon State (7-5-1, 4-2-1 Pac-12) for the second time this season tonight. The last time the teams met was on Oct. 6, and the game ended in a 1-1 tie after double-overtime.
This game has important Pac-12 implications as the Cardinal and Beavers are ranked second and third in the conference, respectively. Undefeated No. 1 Washington leads the conference and has wins over both teams.
Stanford enters the game on a five-game win-streak, which extends back to its tie against Oregon State. Last weekend, the Cardinal defeated San Diego State 3-2 and UCLA 1-0 at home.
Against the Aztecs, Stanford fell in a 2-1 deficit late in the first half. The Cardinal offense failed to make waves until the 76th minute, when freshman forward Ousseni Bouda found the back of the net. Five minutes later, redshirt sophomore forward Zach Ryan converted a corner from junior midfield/defender Logan Panchot to give the team the win.
The Bruins brought forth similar defensive pressure in their match, keeping the Cardinal out of the net for 65 minutes. Unfortunately for them, redshirt junior midfielder Marc Joshua decided to seize the moment, heading in a cross from Panchot to score his first career goal.
Panchot, who assisted three of the team’s four goals last weekend, was voted Pac-12 Player of the Week.
The last time Stanford faced the Beavers, senior midfielder Derek Waldeck secured the Cardinal’s only goal. Waldeck’s strike came in the 72nd minute, equalizing the match. On the other side of the field, midfielder Joel Walker scored Oregon State’s only goal.
Statistically, Ryan leads the team with six goals, though two freshman sit right behind with five each. Bouda and forward Gabe Segal have both made the most of their first few months on the farm, totaling 24 points between the two of them. Bouda and Ryan share the team lead with three game-winning goals each.
Overall, the Cardinal hold the second-most prolific offense in the conference. Their 2.07 goals per game rank 24th in the country, are just behind the Huskies’ 2.20 figure. Defensively, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Thomas has been a wall, posting the 13th highest goals against average (0.693) in the NCAA.
Senior defender Tanner Beason will likely miss the game because of his injury suffered against Washington.
This same evening, fellow Pac-12 teams Washington and Cal — first and fourth in the conference, respectively — will also play in Seattle. A California upset would be beneficial for the Cardinal’s conference standings.
Stanford and Oregon State’s rematch will begin at 4 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Contact Inyoung Choi at ichoi ‘at’ stanford.edu and James Hemker at jahemker ‘at’ stanford.edu..