No. 6 Stanford men’s soccer (7-2-1, 0-2-1 ACC) has hit a rough patch as ACC conference play continues to pick up. The previously top-ranked Cardinal have now lost two straight games and have only secured one win in their last four matchups. 

Stanford came into the season with plenty of hype, sitting at a No. 9 ranking before their first game of the season against CSU Bakersfield (3-2-2, 0-0 BWC). The team went on to win their first nine games in dominant fashion, only allowing four goals. That stretch included a 1-0 statement win against then-ranked No. 2 University of San Diego (5-2-2, 0-0-1 WCC). 

But then ACC opponents popped up on the schedule. First came North Carolina (3-2-3, 0-1-2 ACC), who currently sit just above Stanford in the conference rankings. The Tar Heels were the first team of the season to score multiple goals against a stout Stanford defense as they led 2-1 early in the second half. Sophomore midfielder Jack Pymm stepped up for a penalty kick, however, and found the net to tie the game. Pymm has tallied five goals this season, already surpassing the four goals he recorded last season. Despite the shift in momentum, the Cardinal were unable to secure the lead and had to settle with the draw.

Following the draw, Stanford shifted away from conference play in a 1-0 home win against Santa Clara (3-5-1, 0-0-1 WCC). Freshman forward Jayden Fitzgerald Boes provided the only point of the night, his fourth goal of the year. In the following game, Stanford again scored only one goal, but this time in a losing effort against ACC foe Notre Dame (5-2-2, 2-1 ACC). The 3-1 loss snapped a 16-game regular season win streak. The one highlight of the night came from Pymm, who added another goal to his second-year campaign.

The most disappointing loss of the season came with the Cardinal’s most recent game this past Friday. Facing a Virginia Cavaliers team (4-4-1, 2-1 ACC) that had only played one game on the road before their trip to The Farm, Stanford squandered a 2-1 lead in the second half. With just 20 minutes left in regulation, Stanford maintained the lead, but in a span of two minutes, the defense surrendered two Virginia goals and handed the Cardinal a 3-2 defeat. In the face of a whirlwind loss, head coach Jeremy Gunn called it “a disappointing result but such an encouraging performance.”

Stanford has yet to enter the win column in conference play, but will have another opportunity in a road game against Duke (4-6, 0-3 ACC) on Friday. The Blue Devils are one of two teams who sit below Stanford in the ACC rankings, with Cal (3-3-3, 0-2-1 ACC)  joining them at the bottom. The match is set to kick-off at 4 p.m PT.