Duel with the Dons – Stanford Cardinal

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2025

#1 STANFORD CARDINAL (11-1-1) vs. SAN FRANCISCO DONS (8-3-1)

Cagan Stadium | Stanford, Calif.

MATCH NOTES » No. 1 Stanford and San Francisco will meet for the 49th time in a series that dates back to 1973, renewing one of the Cardinal’s longest-running rivalries. The Dons have won the last two contests and hold a 23-19-6 advantage in the all-time series, though Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn has found success against USF with a 9-3-0 mark during his tenure. The two sides met in preseason play in early August, with the Cardinal earning a 2-0 exhibition victory behind goals from Shane De Flores and Jude Stone. Stanford enters Wednesday’s matchup looking to reclaim control of the series and extend its unbeaten run at home this season.

LAST TIME OUT » A dominant defensive showing and two second-half goals from Palmer Bank and Trevor Islam pushed the top-ranked Cardinal to a 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday evening. The win moved the Cardinal to 8-0-0 at Cagan Stadium this season, marking the best home start to a season in program history. A nearly flawless performance from the back line, Stanford held Pittsburgh to just one attack and kept the Panthers away from the corner flag through 90 minutes. It was the first time the Cardinal had held an opponent to just one shot since Feb. 15, 2021, in a 5-0 win over San Francisco. In addition to his 75th-minute goal, Islam added an assist in the match, extending a streak in which a Cardinal player has recorded both a goal and an assist in a match to five games, with Islam tallying two such performances during that stretch.

STRING OF SHUTOUTS » Stanford’s recent defensive dominance has produced three consecutive clean sheets in victories over Boston College, Wake Forest, and Pittsburgh, matching its longest shutout streak from last season. While the Stanford offense has established a +7 goal differential during the three-game stretch, the Cardinal backline has held opposing offenses to 15 total shots and just four attacks on frame. Stanford will look to keep San Francisco off the scoreboard on Wednesday and secure its fourth straight shutout for the first time since 2017, when the Cardinal recorded an impressive nine-match streak en route to a third consecutive national title.

COMEBACK CARDINAL » Stanford’s resilience has been a defining trait of the 2025 squad, as the Cardinal are 2-1-1 in contests in which they are trailing in the 80th minute….