PAC-12 LEADERS: Nationally ranked No. 9 STANFORD (8-2-4, 5-1-1) enters the week alone atop the Pac-12 Men’s Soccer standings, three points ahead of second-place OREGON STATE (8-4-3, 4-2-1) with three weeks remaining in league play. The Beavers’ tied the Cardinal, 2-2, last week and have handed Stanford its only two blemishes in Conference play this season after besting the previously undefeated Cardinal in Corvallis the week before.

UCLA (9-4-0, 4-1-0) is one point behind OSU in third place and holds the second highest overall win percentage (.692) in the Conference after topping LMU, 4-1, to extend its win streak to four. WASHINGTON (8-7-0, 3-4-0) is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll and moved to fourth in the Conference after picking up a 2-1 win over CALIFORNIA (5-8-2, 1-6-0) last week. Four Pac-12 teams hold a top-40 NCAA RPI as Stanford made the largest jump in the league, moving up seven spots to No. 13, and is joined by UCLA at No. 18, Oregon State at No. 30 and Washington at No. 40.

PREVIEWING THE WEEK: No. 9 Stanford’s stout defense, which leads the Conference in goals allowed (10), saves (53) and shutouts (7), will be put to the test against No. 11 Denver (11-2-2, 3-0-1), which holds the 10th-best winning percentage and sixth-most assists (37) in the country. Stanford hosts the marquee matchup of the week on Friday at 7 p.m. PT.

Four games will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks this week starting on Thursday with SAN DIEGO STATE at Oregon State at 3 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Oregon and UCLA at Washington at 8 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks. The two series flip on Sunday with UCLA at Oregon State at 2 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Oregon followed by SDSU at Washington at 4 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Washington.

PAC-12 RECAP: Four-time defending league champion Stanford stayed atop the league standings by earning a series sweep against Washington with a 3-1 home victory on Sunday. Amir Bashti, Zach Ryan, and Tanner Beason each recorded a tally in the win as the Cardinal scored at least three goals for the fifth time in seven Pac-12 matches. Stanford’s 18 total goals through its first seven Pac-12 games are a program record for a league-best 2.57 goals per game against league opponents. Stanford ranks fourth in save percentage (0.841), eighth in assists per game (2.43) and 14th in goals-against average (0.664) in the nation while Andrew Thomas continues to pace Pac-12 goalkeepers with the country’s ninth-best save percentage (0.831).

UCLA’s Matt Hundley scored twice and added an assist in the Bruins’ 4-1 victory over Loyola Marymount to extend its winning streak to a season-best four straight. UCLA goalkeeper Justin Garces ranks second in the league in goals-against average (0.990). UCLA returns to Pac-12 action for two critical matches as it sits four points out of first place.

Oregon State moved up the league rankings for the second week in a row after posting a 2-2 draw against Stanford on Thursday and recording a 1-0 overtime victory against California on Sunday for its second clean sheet in Conference play this season. The Beavers’ weekend results mark their longest unbeaten streak in Pac-12 play (four) since 2009, which was the last time the team recorded five league wins in a single season. OSU is three wins away from trying its program-record seven Pac-12 victories from the 2003 season (7-3-0) when it made one of the program’s three all-time NCAA appearances. Freshman goalkeeper Adrian Fernandez leads the Pac-12 with 51 saves while Sofiane Djeffal holds the most assists with six and Gloire Amanda is tied for the second-most goals with seven.

Washington picked up a big 2-1 win at California before dropping a 3-1 decision to Stanford on Sunday. Freshman Charlie Ostrem recorded his first collegiate goal and Scott Menzies added the eventual match-winner to stifle Cal’s late rally to remain one game behind UCLA in the Pac-12. The Huskies remain in contention for the league crown and will lean on Menzie, who is tied for second in the Conference with seven goals, and also look for production from Kyle Coffee, who boasts the second-most points on the team with 13 (4 goals, 5 assists).

California senior Shinya Kadono moved into fifth place on Cal’s all-time single-season scoring list with his 12th goal of the season as the Golden Bears fell to Washington, 2-1, last Thursday. Kadono also leads the Conference with 26 points and 50 shots, and ranks in the top-15 nationally in goals (6th), points (10th) and goals per game (13th - 0.80).

SDSU shut out local rival San Diego, 2-0, on Friday as the Aztecs outshot the Toreros, 16-6, including an 11-2 advantage in the first half. Forward Damian German scored in the fourth minute and Pablo Pelaez converted a penalty kick in the 86th minute to secure the match.

NATIONAL HONORS: Oregon State’s Alex Cover added a second individual honor of the week being named to TopDrawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week after earning his first weekly Conference award. Stanford’s Tanner Beason recorded two tallies over the week and UCLA’s Matthew Hundley scored a pair of goals against LMU to earn honorable mention.

Five Pac-12 players are featured in the top-15 of TopDrawer Soccer’s Midseason Top-100 Player Rankings, which ties the ACC for the most of any Conference in the nation. League selections include six in the top-25 -No. 5 Andrew Thomas, Stanford; No. 8 Jean-Julien Foe Nuphaus, Cal; No. 9 Frankie Amaya, UCLA; No. 12 Ethan Bartlow, Washington; No. 14 Justin Garces, UCLA; and No. 25 Ian Lonergan, Cal. A total of 11 Pac-12 players make an appearance on the list.

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Oregon State’s Alex Cover collected his first career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor after teammate Hassani Dotson received the nod last week, making it the first time OSU registered back-to-back award winners since 2009 (Danny Mwanga - Nov. 10, Nov. 17). The freshman defender scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift Oregon State to a 1-0 win over California on Sunday as he followed up a strong shot on goal and slotted it into the back of the net.

MAC HERMANN NOMINEE WATCH: Drake Callender of California and Erik Holt of UCLA represent the Pac-12 on the preseason MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. Goalkeeper Callender has made 29 saves for a .674 save percentage this season. Holt has been a key defensive started that has led UCLA to a 0.99 goals against average accompanied with five shutouts on the season, both totals rank second in the Pac-12.

Twenty eight players from NCAA Division I schools around the country have been marked as potential contenders for the 2017 Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer, presented annually to one male and one female athlete.

TOPDRAWERSOCCER PRESEASON BEST XI: Stanford defender Tanner Beason, two-time All-Pac-12 first team selection, has been selected to the preseason All-Pac-12 team and the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team. UW defender Quentin Pearson was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Best XI third team while new teammate Ethan Bartlow earned a spot on the freshman team. Including Bartlow, the Pac-12 had three TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI freshman team selections, which tied for the most of any conference in the country. UCLA was the only school to land two incoming players on the team with forward Matt Hundley and goalkeeper Justin Garces.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Stanford has been predicted to win the 2018 Pac-12 men’s soccer title by the Conference’s head coaches for the second-straight season. Washington was picked to finish second in the league as the Huskies bring back strong leadership with 12 upperclassmen from last season's NCAA Tournament team. UCLA is slated to finish third followed by Oregon State and San Diego State tied for fifth place in the Conference poll.

PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12: Stanford and Washington lead the preseason All-Pac-12 team with three honorees each followed by UCLA and Cal with two selections. The preseason team consists of 11 field players and one goalkeeper and features eight returning 2017 All-Pac-12 honorees. Reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Blake Bodily of Washington and Drake Callender of California and Erik Holt of UCLA headline the preseason All-Pac-12 team.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS Expanded standings)

Teams Points Pac-12 Record Overall Record Stanford 16 5-1-1 8-2-4 Oregon State 13 4-2-1 8-4-3 UCLA 12 4-1-0 9-4-0 Washington 9 3-4-0 8-7-0 San Diego State 3 1-4-0 6-6-1 California 3 1-6-0 5-8-2

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