Cardinal Draws with NC State – Stanford Cardinal

STANFORD, Calif. – No. 2 Stanford fought to a 0-0 draw with NC State on Friday night, earning a point in ACC play. Stanford moves to 8-1-2 and 3-0-2 in ACC play while NC State moves to 5-2-3 and 1-2-1 in conference games. 

“I thought it was a great game of soccer,” said the Knowles Family Director of Men’s Soccer Jeremy Gunn. “And I thought NC State played really well.”

The two teams showed intensity throughout the 90 minutes. Each side had their share of chances, including 11 shots for both squads.

“They passed the ball well and they had some good possession and moments,” added Gunn. “I thought we just created some great clear-cut chances, and on another day, the ball just lands right. For example, the ball goes right between our striker’s legs right in front of goal, we had scrambles right near the goal line, different opportunities and we were just inches away today.”

While each team had 11 shots, it was Stanford who generated more pressure and threatening opportunities. The Cardinal had five shots on goal, forcing five saves from the Wolfpack’s keeper.

Jackson Kiil led Stanford with two shots on target, while Zach Bohane also added a pair of shots on the night, including one on frame.

“Obviously, the keepers aren’t making that many saves, our keeper made a good save and theirs made one,” explained Gunn. “There’s a lot of blocked shots, a lot of almosts for both teams.” 

The Cardinal defense did well to prevent shots on target from the Wolfpack, but they did land one good attempt. Rowan Schnebly was called on to make a leaping save in the first half to keep the game scoreless. 

“In the game, I thought they were looking quite composed,” said Gunn. “But we were getting some really good looks and we couldn’t quite finish them off.”

With the draw, Stanford extends its unbeaten streak to nine straight games. The Cardinal also picked up its sixth shutout of the season.

Stanford returns to action in a week, taking on SMU on the road in another ACC contest.