Weekly release

Oct. 25, 2012

LOS ANGELES - This is the weekend that many have expected to decide the Pac-12 Conference women’s soccer race, with first-place Stanford visiting second-place UCLA on Sunday in a contest matching the top two ranked teams in the country. If Stanford gets by USC and UCLA beats Cal on Friday, their matchup at Drake Stadium should decide the conference title with one match remaining for each team. A weekend sweep would clinch at least a share of a fourth consecutive conference title for Stanford. Either way, this appears to be the match of the year in the Pac-12.

THE LAST MEETING USC 0 Stanford 3 October 7, 2011 Laird Q. Cagan Stadium Stanford Earns Milestone Victory The No. 1 Stanford women's soccer team earned its seventh consecutive shutout, 3-0 over USC, and provided Paul Ratcliffe with his 200th career coaching victory on Friday night. Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

THE LAST MEETING UCLA 1 Stanford 4 October 9, 2011 Laird Q. Cagan Stadium Soccer Showdown Goes to Stanford No. 1 Stanford scored four first-half goals on the way to a surprising 4-1 rout over No. 3 UCLA in a pivotal Pac-12 women's soccer showdown before a sellout crowd at Cagan Stadium on Sunday. Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

The following is a closer look at each match:

Who: No. 1 Stanford (14-1-1, 8-0) at USC (5-8-3, 2-4-2)
When: Friday, 7 p.m. PT
Where: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, Calif.
Watch: Live USC streaming video via gostanford.com
Follow: Gametracker live stats (gostanford.com)
Storyline: Stanford looks to extend its 39-match Pac-12 winning streak.

Who: No. 1 Stanford (14-1-1, 8-0) at No. 2 UCLA (14-0-2, 7-0-1)
When: Sunday, 6 p.m. PT
Where: Drake Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.
Watch: Pac-12 Networks (Allen Hopkins and Tammy Blackburn on the call)
Follow: Gametracker live stats (gostanford.com)
Listen: Game can be heard by UCLA audio via gostanford.com
Storyline: No. 1 plays No. 2 in a likely Pac-12 title clash.

CURRENT STANFORD STREAKS:
• Four consecutive College Cup appearances
• Three consecutive College Cup finals appearances
• Three consecutive Pac-10/12 Conference titles
• 145-match unbeaten streak (139-0-6) when scoring a goal
(the last time Stanford scored and lost was Aug. 27, 2006; 2-1 to Wake Forest)
• 98-match home unbeaten streak (94-0-4) when scoring a goal
(Stanford hasn’t scored at home and lost since Oct. 5, 2003; 2-1 to LMU)
• 63-match home unbeaten streak (61-0-2), second-longest in NCAA history
(last loss, Nov. 23, 2007; 2-0 to Connecticut in an NCAA third-round match)
• 39-match Pac-10/12 winning streak, No. 3 conference win streak in NCAA history
(last loss, Oct. 31, 2008; 1-0 at UCLA)
• 26-match Pac-10/12 home winning streak
(last loss, Oct. 19, 2007; 2-0 vs. UCLA)
• 12-match winning streak
(last non-victory, Aug. 31, 2012; 1-1 vs. Boston College)

NO. 1 VS. NO. 2: This will be the fourth time Stanford has been involved in a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams, as ranked in the NSCAA coaches’ poll. Stanford is 1-2 in such contests. Here are descriptions of each:
• Aug. 27, 2010; No. 2 Stanford 2, No. 1 North Carolina 2 (2OT), in Chapel Hill, N.C.: In a rematch of the 2009 NCAA final (a 1-0 Stanford loss), Stanford took leads on goals by Christen Press and Teresa Noyola, but failed to hold them. UNC tied the score in the 71st minute on a goal by Amber Brooks and drop Stanford’s all-time series record against the Tar Heels to 0-8-3.
• Oct. 19, 2007; No. 1 UCLA 2, No. 2 Stanford 0, in Stanford, Calif.: In a match that featured four players who would start in the 2011 Women’s World Cup -- UCLA’s Lauren Cheney (U.S.), and Stanford’s Rachel Buehler (U.S.), Kelley O’Hara (U.S.), and Ali Riley (New Zealand) -- the Bruins got goals from Cheney on a first-half penalty and Christina DiMartino in the second half.
• Oct. 4, 2002: No. 2 North Carolina 1, No. 1 Stanford 0, in Moraga, Calif.: Stanford had just achieved the first No. 1 ranking in its history, and got six saves from Nicole Barnhart, but fell on a 60th minute goal by Alyssa Ramsey at St. Mary’s College.

CONFERENCE VICTORY STREAK: Stanford is in third place on the NCAA Division I list for consecutive conference victories, with 39. The two teams ahead of Stanford are North Carolina (1994-2000), which won 55 straight in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Florida (1997-2001), which won 49 in the Southeastern Conference. Stanford has not lost in conference play since losing at UCLA, 1-0, on Oct. 31, 2008, in a match that Stanford standout Kelley O’Hara, a future World Cup starter, missed because of a concussion.

SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST: All-America midfielder Mariah Nogueira is one of 10 finalists for the women’s soccer’s Senior CLASS Award, which honors those who excel in athletics, academics, and community service. Nogueira, a senior captain, carries a 3.63 cumulative GPA. She has been involved with Special Olympics, the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative, and weekly tutoring for young students from East Palo Alto, among other community service works. Nogueira has also done charity work with a group called “Kids Alive” in the Dominican Republic. The selection process includes fan voting through November 19th at www.seniorCLASSaward.com.

FRIDAY’S OPPONENT, USC: The Women of Troy (5-8-3, 2-4-2) have won only one of their past seven matches, but six of those matches were either draws or one-goal results. Jordan Marada, a junior midfielder in her first season after transferring from Saint Mary’s, and senior Samantha Johnson are tied for the team-lead in goals, with four apiece. USC split its past two matches -- beating Utah and losing to Colorado, both by 1-0 scores -- at home. The Stanford match will be their only contest at the Los Angeles Coliseum this season.

THE STANFORD-USC SERIES: Stanford holds a 14-3-3 lead in the series, and has won the past four since 2008. Last year, the Cardinal earned a 3-0 victory at Cagan Stadium on goals by Sydney Payne, Rachel Quon, and Natalie Griffen -- each of whom is back this season. It also marked the 200th collegiate career coaching victory for Paul Ratcliffe. USC’s last victory in the series was in 2005 at Stanford by a 1-0 score. Stanford is 5-0-1 in matches hosted by USC since the Women of Troy last beat Stanford in the Southland, 2-1 in 1998.

SUNDAY’S OPPONENT, UCLA: UCLA (14-0-2, 7-0-1) is the last remaining undefeated team in NCAA Division I, and also has allowed the fewest goals (six) in the country. The Bruins lead the nation in goals-against average at 0.36 and have a conference-leading 10 shutouts. Sophomore goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland is fourth in the nation in GAA, with 0.32. Senior Zakiya Bywaters, an All-Pac-12 first-team selection last season, leads the conference with 11 goals. UCLA’s only Pac-12 blemish was a 0-0 draw at home against Washington State.

THE STANFORD-UCLA SERIES: Stanford leads the series 10-9-3 and has won their past five meetings since 2009, outscoring the Bruins by a combined 13-2 in that span. UCLA remains the last team to beat Stanford in conference play, with a 1-0 victory on Oct. 31, 2008, in Westwood. Since then, Stanford has won 39 consecutive matches in conference play. This is the second time they have met as Nos. 1 and 2 in the NSCAA rankings, with No. 2 UCLA winning 2-0 on Oct. 19, 2007, at Stanford. Last year, the teams met as No. 1 (Stanford) against No. 3 (UCLA) according to the NSCAA poll, though the Bruins were No. 2 in the Soccer America rankings. Stanford won 4-1 at home with all the goals coming in the first half. Chioma Ubogagu scored twice in the first 18 minutes to spark the victory.

PAC-12 SUCCESS: Stanford is coming off three consecutive perfect seasons in Pac-10/12 play and has a 39-match winning streak. Stanford has won three consecutive conference titles and eight overall, and has the past three players of the year: Kelley O’Hara (2009), Christen Press (2010), and Lindsay Taylor (2011). Each of those players led the conference in scoring. In addition, Paul Ratcliffe has won the past four Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year awards. Stanford’s conference record since 2008 is 45-1.

SENIOR CLASS: The 10-member Stanford class of 2013 -- Annie Case, Lindsay Dickerson, Alina Garciamendez, Aly Gleason, Marjani Hing-Glover, Mariah Nogueira, Rachel Quon, Madeleine Thompson, Courtney Verloo, and Nina Watkins -- has a combined four-year record of 87-3-4, including a 48-0-1 record at home and 37-0 in conference play. This success rivals that of the Stanford class of 2012 that consisted of All-Americans Teresa Noyola, Lindsay Taylor, and Camille Levin, and College Cup All-tournament Kristy Zurmuhlen. They went 95-4-4.

SCORING BY COMMITTEE:
• Of Stanford’s conference-leading 45 goals, 23 have been scored by forwards, 22 by midfielders and defenders.
• The team’s four leading goal-scorers are a defender (Alina Garciamendez), one is a midfielder (Mariah Nogueira), and two are forwards (Courtney Verloo, Natalie Griffen).
• Nine players have scored three or more goals.
• Nogueira is the team goals leader with 7, with all but one coming off her head.
• Verloo is the team points leader (6 goals, 8 assists, 20 points). Four of her goals have been on set pieces -- two penalties, a free kick, and a corner kick.

SECOND-HALF DOMINANCE: The Cardinal has outscored opponents, 28-5, in the second half this season, following a trend that has been impressive over the past five years. Since 2008, Stanford has outscored opponents in the second half by a combined, 194-34. However, the first half hasn’t been bad either, by a 144-21 count. The last time Stanford has been outscored in the second half was in 2007, 20-15. One reason could be because of the possession style that Stanford plays that wears teams down.

LAST WEEK: Stanford swept the Washington schools, but not without difficulty. Stanford took a 2-0 lead against visiting Washington State on Thursday, only for the Cougars to tie it up before halftime. It marked the first time since Sept. 24, 1999 that Stanford had squandered a two-goal lead. However, Stanford won it, 3-2, on a header by Mariah Nogueira in the 62nd minute. On Sunday, Stanford beat Washington, 3-0, on Senior Night with two first-half goals from Courtney Verloo -- the first on a penalty kick and then directly on a corner kick.

ROAD STRETCH: Stanford is in the midst of a span in which it plays only two home matches during an eight-match stretch to close the regular season. Last weekend marked the only home matches in a 35-day span. If Stanford plays host to a first-round match, that stretch would be 39 days with only two home matches. After this weekend, Stanford plays at No. 21 Cal, which sits just behind Stanford and UCLA in the Pac-12 standings.

RECENT STREAKS BROKEN:
• Stanford’s 25-match winning streak was broken on August 26 during a 1-0 loss to West Virginia at the Penn State Invitational.
• Stanford’s 51-match home winning streak was broken on August 31 during a 1-1 draw against Boston College.
• Stanford’s five-match shutout streak (588 minutes, 30 seconds) was broken on Sept. 27 by Oregon State.

FROM BEHIND: Stanford has trailed in four matches this season, but until playing Colorado on Oct. 7 -- when it needed two goals within 37 seconds in the 79th minute to win 2-1 -- the Cardinal had not been behind since Aug. 26 during its loss to West Virginia. Stanford fell behind in each of its first three matches, winning two of them.

CLUTCH PLAYER: Mariah Nogueira has made a habit of scoring clutch goals for Stanford. She beat Washington State with a 62nd minute header. This was she tied the score against Colorado with a left-footed shot in the 79th minute. Earlier this season, she scored a late winner at Penn State. Of Nogueira’s team-high 20 career goals, 15 have tied the score or put Stanford ahead. She also has 11 game-winning goals, which is believed to be a school record. And, technically, she’s not an offensive player, but rather a holding midfielder. Her seven goals lead the team, with six scored on headers.

BEHIND THE CAMERA: The UCLA match is the 11th of 12 regular-season matches Stanford will play on the Pac-12 Networks this season. The Cardinal is 9-0-1 on the new networks and has outscored its opponents, 33-6, in those matches. Stanford has scored five or more goals in three of those and is averaging 3.3 goals. Including a victory over Penn State on the Big Ten Network, Stanford is 10-0-1 on television this season.

THE SCHEDULE: Stanford opened with five matches against teams that reached the 2011 NCAA tournament and emerged with a 3-1-1 record. In all, Stanford plays nine teams that reached the postseason last year. Against teams ranked at the time of their meeting, Stanford is 5-0-1 this season. Against teams ranked in this week’s NSCAA top 25, Stanford is 4-1-1. Stanford beat current No. 4 Penn State (3-2), No. 6 San Diego State (1-0), No. 14 Georgetown (6-0), and No. 17 Santa Clara (6-1). The Cardinal tied No. 21 Boston College (1-1) and lost to No. 19 West Virginia (1-0). Still to come is No. 2 UCLA on Oct. 28 in Los Angeles and No. 21 California on Nov. 4 in Berkeley.

ONE-GOAL GAMES: Stanford has played four one-goal games in conference play, already more than the three it played in going 11-0-0 in the Pac-12 last year.

EMILY’S BACK: Junior goalkeeper Emily Oliver, who did not play in the first eight matches because of injury, has started the past seven. Oliver has a career goals-against average of 0.31. She has allowed only 15 goals in 52 career matches. Her GAA, if maintained until the end of her Stanford career, would rank No. 1 in Stanford history. U.S. national teamer Nicole Barnhart, a Stanford volunteer assistant coach, has the Stanford record of 0.45. Barnhart, a member of the U.S. national team, also holds the career shutout record of 35. Oliver is fifth, with 24.

WORLD CUP WINNER: Stanford’s leading returning scorer, sophomore forward Chioma Ubogagu, rejoined the team Sept. 14 after helping the United States capture the FIFA Under-20 World Cup title in Japan. The U.S. beat Germany in the final, 1-0, on Sept. 8, but may not have gotten there without Ubogagu’s overtime header that beat North Korea, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. Ubogagu scored 10 goals and had 10 assists for Stanford’s national championship team last season as a freshman and was named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament team.

RANKINGS: Stanford moved up to No. 1 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire Coaches’ Poll, ahead of Florida State, which lost to Boston College last week. In other rankings, Stanford is No. 2 by Soccer America, and No. 1 by Top Drawer Soccer, Soccer Times, and Our Game.

FOUR-YEAR STARTERS: Stanford has three players – tri-captains central defender Alina Garciamendez, outside right back Rachel Quon, and holding midfielder Mariah Nogueira – who are four-year starters, with College Cup finals appearances in each of their previous three seasons. Stanford has 10 members of the class of 2013, including three who will still have eligibility. after this year.

HERMANN TROPHY WINNERS: Before last year, no other school has had three different players win the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy in three successive years. Stanford became the first in the 24 years of collegiate soccer’s most prestigious honor when Kelley O’Hara (2009), Christen Press (2010) and Teresa Noyola (2011) captured the honor. In addition, Lindsay Taylor, the runner-up to Noyola, was named Soccer America’s National Player of the Year. This year, goalkeeper Emily Oliver remains on the Hermann Trophy watch list.