"Everybody philosophizes about how the game should be played and yet we're gearing for knockout soccer," said Stanford coach Jeremy Gunn. "And knockout soccer is different than week-in, week-out soccer."

Three-time defending NCAA champion Stanford opened the tournament after a bye with its 13th consecutive NCAA postseason shutout and extended its tournament shutout streak to 1,304 minutes, 20 seconds. The Cardinal also stretched its NCAA tourney unbeaten streak to 16.

The Cardinal scored two second-half goals, on a penalty kick by Tanner Beason and an 83rd minute strike from Zach Ryan, to beat UC Irvine, 2-0, in the second round Sunday at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.

Stanford opened the NCAA men's soccer tournament the same way it's played the past three: with a shutout victory.

It's a great playoff game where two sets of players are working tremendously hard. It's whoever keeps their composure, keeps their nerve, and keeps asking the questions -- having attacks that are probing and making their defenders have to defend. The penalty comes from making their defenders have to defend, and the other goal came from that as well."

"We're capable of keeping a high tempo throughout the game," Gunn said. "You want to deliver the knockout punch straightaway, but if you can't, keep landing the body blows to just keep wearing the other team down. Tonight was a good example."

And the Anteaters (11-6-4), the Big West regular-season champion, threatened to repeat history when an early giveaway gave UCI an open chance that goalkeeper Andrew Thomas saved – one of two for Thomas in the 'spectacular' category.

Stanford hasn't lost an NCAA match since UC Irvine pulled a 1-0 upset in the same round and in the same stadium in 2014.

Derek Waldeck centered a pass from the left to Ryan at the top of the box, closely marked. Ryan's first touch allowed him to fake right and then cut left, to free himself for a left-footed shot into the net at 82:50.

UCI nearly drew even a minute later when a close-range header kissed the crossbar, but Stanford put the match away on a brilliant effort by Ryan.

Central defender and captain Tanner Beason, the Pac-12 Player and Defensive Player of the Year, worked himself to a prime position in the penalty area for Will Richmond's cross, when he was shoved to the ground to create his own penalty kick, that he converted at 71:26.

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When push comes to shove, Stanford's Beason delivers