WEEKLY RECAP: Pac-12 Men’s Soccer posted an 8-3-1 record to kick off the 2019 season, including a 2-1-1 record against ranked opponents on the weekend. The Conference’s .708 combined winning percentage is tied with the ACC (16-6-2) for the third-best mark across all leagues behind the Big East (13-3-2, .778) and Sun Belt (9-3-1, .731).

STANFORD posted two away wins over the weekend as the Cardinal defeated Penn State (5-0) and took down then No. 3 and 2018 NCAA runner-up Akron (2-1). Preseason All-Conference selection Zach Ryan’s 89th-minute header broke the deadlock and secured the victory for the Cardinal. WASHINGTON also picked up a pair of victories to kick off the 2019 season, defeating then No. 18 Denver (2-1) and San Francisco (4-0) behind two goals apiece from junior midfielder Blake Bodily and sophomore forward Gio Miglietti over the weekend. CALIFORNIA was also undefeated over the weekend, securing an opening-night victory against Omaha (1-0) before posting a 1-1 draw to then No. 25 UC Irvine.

UCLA went to overtime in both of its opening weekend matches, taking a 1-0 overtime victory against Northwestern behind Milan Iloski’s golden goal (95’), before falling in double overtime, 1-2, to No. 2 Indiana. OREGON STATE picked up a victory against three-time defending Patriot League Champions Colgate (2-1), while SAN DIEGO STATE recorded a hard-fought extra time win at UNLV (3-2) as freshman Hunter George bagged a brace and the game-winner (97’) in OT.

PAC-12 IN NATIONAL RANKS: Reigning Conference Champion Stanford moved up to No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) National Poll to lead the Pac-12 in the collegiate rankings. The Huskies made a big jump this week, securing the No. 13 spot after receiving votes in the original preseason poll. Oregon State received eight votes to land just outside the Top 25.

PREVIEWING THE WEEK: The Pac-12’s strong non-conference schedule continues this week (Friday, Sept. 6–Monday, Sept. 9) as three nationally ranked squads, including the defending NCAA Champion, headline the upcoming slate of opponents. Washington looks to stay unbeaten in 2019 with a trip to the Great Lakes State as the Huskies take on 2018 NCAA Semifinalist and 16th-ranked Michigan State on Friday (4:00 p.m. PT) in East Lansing ahead of a Sunday matinee against Michigan (3:00 p.m. PT) in Ann Arbor.

UCLA opens its 2019 home schedule with a couple of the nation’s best coming to Westwood. The Bruins first host defending NCAA Champion and No. 3 Maryland (Friday, 7:00 p.m. PT) on Pac-12 Los Angeles. UCLA then takes on No. 6 Georgetown on Monday (5:00 p.m. PT), the Bruins’ third top-6 opponent in their first four matches. San Diego State also stays home for a pair this week as the Aztecs take on Belmont (Friday, 7:00 p.m. PT) and Detroit Mercy (Sunday, 6:00 p.m. PT) at the SDSU Sports Deck.

Oregon State kicks off its second week of action with a home matchup against Davidson on Friday evening (7:00 p.m. PT). The Beavers take on Pacific at home Monday (7:00 p.m. PT) as OSU gets a look at UCLA head coach Ryan Jorden’s former squad. California hits the road for a Saturday evening contest against UCSB (7:00 p.m. PT), while Stanford hosts reigning Big West Conference Champions UC Irvine on Pac-12 Network (Monday, 7:00 p.m. PT) in the Cardinal’s only match of the week.

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: UCLA sophomore goalkeeper Justin Garces was named Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for the first time in his career. The Miami, Fla., native recorded a career-high seven saves in the Bruins’ 1-0 season-opening win over Northwestern on Friday, including five – his previous career-best – in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The current Conference leader in saves (11), Garces entered his sophomore campaign having recorded the most wins (seven) and lowest goals against average (1.24) by a UCLA freshman goalkeeper since 2000. Garces’ selection marked the second-consecutive year that a Bruin secured the first Player of the Week honor of the season, as former UCLA midfielder Matt Hundley took home 2018’s initial honor.

STAT CENTRAL: Washington teammates Blake Bodily (2 goals, 1 assist) and Gio Miglietti (2 goals, 1 assist) are tied for the Conference lead in scoring (five points). The Husky pair is also even with Stanford’s Tanner Beason and San Diego State’s Hunter George with two goals to lead the league. Bodily is also currently tied for the national lead with two game-winning goals to his credit. After recording just one assist in all of 2018, sophomore midfielder Adrian Crespo has assisted on all three of Oregon State’s goals this season, good for the Pac-12 lead in the category. Six student athletes recorded their first-career goals in the opening weekend of action: freshman midfielder Paolo Carrillo-Weisenburger (CAL), junior forward Tommy Williamson (CAL), freshman forward Hunter George (SDSU), sophomore midfielder Tristan Weber (SDSU), freshman forward/midfielder Ousseni Bouda (STAN), and freshman forward Gabe Segal (STAN).

THOMAS’ NATIONAL TEAM SUMMER: Stanford goalkeeper Andrew Thomas was the only collegian named to the United States’ Under-23 National Team roster for a training camp from at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, just south of San Diego. The camp will run through Sept. 10 with the U.S. set to face Japan on Sept. 9 in Chula Vista. Thomas will aid America’s effort to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The redshirt sophomore was recently called to the U.S. Senior and U-23 National Teams earlier in the summer for preparation camps in Annapolis, Md., (May 26-June 2) and Herriman, Utah (June 9-16).

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Pac-12 men’s soccer head coaches selected the Preseason All-Conference Team, a squad fully composed of 2018 All-Pac-12 honorees. Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Tanner Beason headlines the team as the anchor of the Cardinal back four, while Stanford’s goalkeeper Andrew Thomas was selected following a Conference-best 82 saves in 2018. Two-time first team All-Pac-12 honoree Blake Bodily leads the Huskies’ trio of representatives, while reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Sofiane Djeffal was voted to the team along with sophomore forward Gloire Amanda for Oregon State. A pair of redshirt seniors, forward Pablo Pelaez (SDSU) and defender Matthew Powell (UCLA), round out the Preseason All-Conference team after All-Pac-12 second team honors in 2018.

NATIONAL HONORS: Beason and Bodily were named to the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious honor in collegiate soccer and is awarded annual to the most outstanding male and female players. The winners of the Trophy will be announced in January in St. Louis, Mo., at the Missouri Athletic Club’s annual banquet.

PAC-12 POSTSEASON HISTORY: The Pac-12 placed at least four programs into the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the past six seasons and the eighth time since it began sponsoring the sport with just five teams in 2000 (San Diego State added as sixth member in 2005). UCLA (four) and Stanford (three) have combined for seven NCAA Men’s Soccer titles, highlighted by the Cardinal’s recent streak of three-consecutive crowns from 2015-17. The Bruins and Cardinal have accounted for 17 of the Conference’s all-time top-4 finishes at the NCAA Tournament, including nine College Cup appearances between the two programs (Stanford 5, UCLA 4) over the past 18 seasons.

STANDINGS:

Team Record 1. Stanford 2-0-0 Washington 2-0-0 3. California 1-0-1 4. Oregon State 1-1-0 San Diego State 1-1-0 UCLA 1-1-0

NATIONAL HONORS:

MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List

Tanner Beason, D – Stanford

Blake Bodily, M – Washington

Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100

1. Tanner Beason, D – Stanford

18. Andrew Thomas, GK – Stanford

28. Blake Bodily, M – Washington

42. Logan Panchot, M/F – Stanford

51. Sofiane Djeffal, M – Oregon State

57. Gloire Amanda, F – Oregon State

Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI

First Team: Tanner Beason, D – Stanford

Second Team: Andrew Thomas, GK – Stanford

Third Team: Blake Bodily, M – Washington

Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Freshman Best XI

Ousseni Bouda, F – Stanford

Jefferson Alade, F – UCLA

Christian Soto-Rincon, M - Washington