Silence filled the women’s locker room at Cagan Stadium Monday afternoon as the women’s soccer team watched No. 10 Stanford (13-5-1, 6-5-0 Pac-12) draw a match against CSU Fullerton (8-6-7), the Big West tournament champions, in the first round of the NCAA Division I postseason tournament to be played Friday at home.
“It was pretty intense — everyone was super focused, no one was really talking,” said freshman goalkeeper Jane Campbell. “Once our name got drawn, it was just kind of exciting to know … our game against Fullerton, that’s all we have to focus on, and we don’t have to worry about anyone else except ourselves.”
The selection to the 64-team tournament — Stanford’s 16th in a row — came as no surprise, but it did come under a different set of circumstances than the Cardinal has become used to over the past several seasons. The team is entering the tournament unseeded after finishing fourth in the Pac-12 during the regular season, and Friday’s match will almost certainly be the team’s last home game of the year.
History favors the Cardinal against the Titans on Friday. Stanford has won its last 20 postseason home matches and holds a 1-0 series record against Fullerton. Stanford also beat Fullerton in an offseason match this spring.
A clean slate might be just what Stanford needs after an imperfect regular season that ended with a loss to Cal in the final match. Starting out what the team often refers to as its “second season” at home will also be an advantage for this experienced Cardinal squad.
“I think playing at home just allows us to get into the rhythm quicker,” said junior forward Haley Rosen. “We’re used to the environment. It’s our locker room, our field, our facilities, and I think that helps a lot.”
A victory Friday would mean traveling, most likely to UCLA’s stadium, for the next round. Stanford has not played a non-College Cup road game since 2006. Right now, though, the team is more focused on the games themselves than where they’re played.
“It’s different, but this year we’ve done well on the road,” said senior defender and co-captain Kendall Romine, who was a starter on the team when Stanford won the national title in 2011. “It allows us to be focused and just oriented towards the goal of playing soccer in the moment.”
Though the team and its playing style will remain the same in the postseason, the playoffs necessitate a different, more intense mindset.
“I think it’s got to be business as usual, but the intensity’s higher because there’s more on the line,” said head coach Paul Ratcliffe. “If you win you move on, if you don’t your season is over. So I think everyone just puts things up a notch and gets after it.”
The winner of Friday’s game will face the winner of the Furman-South Carolina match in the second round. Including the first round match, Stanford has to win six games to reach the goal of becoming College Cup champions.
“It’s a time where you see a lot of excitement,” Romine said. “It’s a whole new arena, and it’s extremely competitive, and I think it brings a lot out of everyone. I’m excited. As a senior I want to make this year count.”
The first-round playoff match will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday night at Cagan Stadium. Students can purchase bleacher tickets for $8, and the first 50 Stanford students get in free.
Contact Fiona Noonan at fnoonan ‘at’ stanford.edu.