STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford begins the 2015 season ranked No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Preseason Top 25, the organization announced Monday.
It is the sixth time in the past seven seasons the Cardinal has debuted in the top three and marks the ninth consecutive year it has been in the preseason top 10.
The Cardinal registered 728 points, including one first-place vote, selected behind only Florida State (782) and Virginia (754). Fellow Pac-12 teams ranked in the top 25 include No. 4 UCLA, No. 18 California and No. 20 Washington.
Stanford posted a 20-2-3 record in 2014 and advanced to the College Cup for the sixth time in seven years, completing the season with a No. 3 national ranking.
Stanford plays host to Fresno State in an exhibition on Aug. 14, and opens the season in earnest on Aug. 21 at Hawaii. The Cardinal home opener is Aug. 28 against Boston College, a frequent NCAA tournament opponent in recent years, and plays its Pac-12 home opener on Oct. 8 against Oregon State.
Among the red-letter days on Stanford's home schedule are a Sept. 11 contest against Penn State, the 2014 Big Ten regular-season champ, and a Nov. 1 showdown against conference rival and defending champion UCLA.
Stanford will be featured in 11 Pac-12 Networks broadcasts this season, including nine of its 11 conference matchups.
Season tickets, mini plans and single-game seats are available by visiting gostanford.com/tickets or calling 800-STANFORD.
