2023 Men’s Soccer Season Overview – Stanford Cardinal

STANFORD, California – The Cardinal completed its best postseason finish since 2019 in the fall of 2023, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, including a 3-0 victory over No. 1 tournament seed Marshall in Huntington, WV

Stanford started the season with a bang, opening the 2023 slate with two top-20 wins at home. The Cardinal defeated No. 8 Creighton 3-1 before defeating No. 17 Georgetown on the opening weekend of the season. The wins vaulted Stanford up the rankings, eventually reaching No. 1 in both the United Soccer Coaches and Top Drawer Soccer Rankings for both weeks two and three of the season.

The Cardinal ended the regular season with a 2–1 win over rival California, scoring two goals on the season. Dylan Hooper launched an outrageous strike from beyond the halfway line, perfectly securing the top corner of the Californian goal to tie the game at one in the 65th minute. Mark Fisher, the captain, then gave Stanford the lead in the 89th minute with a bicycle kick.

The win secured Stanford a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, its 10th appearance in the past 11 years and 21st appearance overall. The Cardinal earned the 16th seed, including a first-round bye before a second-round matchup at home against Missouri State.

In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, Stanford earned a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Zach Bohane, Shane de Flores and Jackson Kiil. The win earned Stanford a trip to West Virginia to face Marshall in the quarterfinals.

The Cardinal’s win over Marshall marked the largest margin of victory at No. 1 in tournament history since seeding began in 1994. It also helped Stanford maintain an undefeated road record until losing 2-0 to Clemson in the quarterfinals. Stanford finished the season 11-4-5, tied for the most wins in the Pac-12.

This season, 16 players registered a point, giving the Cardinal 43 goals and 55 assists in the 20 games of the season. Zach Bohane led the way with 27 points from eight goals and 11 assists, while Shane de Flores was second with 22 points from seven goals and eight assists. Bohane’s 27 points were the most for a Cardinal since Foster Langsdorf’s 34 in 2017, and his 11 assists are the most for a Stanford player since 2015 (Corey Baird & Eric Verso – 13).

Stanford had three players in the top 45 nationally in assists per game, led by Zach Bohane at sixth (0.61). Fletcher Bank finished 29th (0.47), while Shane de Flores finished 45th (0.42). The three players also ranked in the top five in assists per game in the Pac-12, with Bohane leading the conference.

Rowan Schnebly allowed 13 goals in his 15 starts this season, leading the conference in goals against average (0.88). He also ranked 18th in the country in goals against average. The redshirt freshman goalie finished the season 8-3-4. Schnebly and fellow goalie Jack Morris combined for seven shutouts on the season, most recently at No. Marshall in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

Stanford’s offense was among the best in the country, averaging 2.89 assists per game, which was the third-best mark in the NCAA. The Cardinal also ranked third in total assists (55), and sixth overall
points (141), seventh in points per game (7.42), ninth in goal difference (+26), ninth in scoring offense (2.26), 10th in total goals (43) and 18th in wins-lost-draws percentage (0.711).

Stanford had five starting lineups this season, including eight underclassmen. Against Creighton, Georgetown, UCLA, San Diego State, Saint Mary’s and Oregon State, the Cardinal has used just three upperclassmen: Mark Fisher, Noah Adnan and Will Reilly.

The Cardinal captured a number of postseason awards, including four All-Far West Region selections. Mark Fisher and Zach Bohane were both named to the first team, while Noah Adnan and Shane de Flores were named to the third team. The four selections were Stanford’s most since 2019.

Five players were also named to All-Pac-12 teams. Fletcher Bank and Zach Bohane were named to the first team, while Mark Fisher, Noah Adnan and Shane de Flores were named second team honorees.

Zach Bohane was selected by the Philadelphia Union with the 63rd overall pick (Round 3, Pick 5), Shane de Flores was selected by the Chicago Fire with the 72nd overall pick (Round 3, Pick 14) and Fletcher Bank was selected by Toronto FC with the 85th overall pick (Round 3, pick 27).

The number of three players selected in one draft is the most since 2016 (Brandon Vincent, Eric Verso, Ty Thompson). All three players will return to The Farm for the 2024 season.

Stanford was also strong in the classroom this season, taking home several awards. Three players were named Academic All-Americans by the College Sports Communicators. Mark Fisher and Will Reilly were named second team selections, while Zach Bohane earned a spot on the third team. Fisher was also honored as a first-team Scholar All-America Selection by United Soccer Coaches.