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#SundayGoals men's soccer preview: No. 17 UCLA at No. 16 Stanford

by Adam Kadourhe
Oct 15, 2016

Who: No. 17 UCLA at No. 16 Stanford

 

When: Sunday, October 16th at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network, Bay Area and Los Angeles

 

On the call: Mark Rogondino and Kelly Gray

 

On the home side: Stanford (7-2-3, 4-0-0 Pac-12)

 

The beginning of Stanford's campaign was marked with uncertainty, as the Cardinal edged out a 3-2-3 record against non-conference opponents. With Pac-12 play now underway, the Cardinal seems to have found its form, going a program-best 4-0 with impressive wins against No. 16 Washington and No. 25 San Diego State.

 

No. 16 Stanford will welcome the No. 17 UCLA Bruins to The Farm Sunday. The two teams will be jockeying for position atop the Pac-12 ranks. The Cardinal are 7-39-9 in 55 all-time meetings with the Bruins dating back to 1973. In their last meeting, the Cardinal secured their first-ever win in Westwood against the Bruins and their first victory against the blue and gold period since 2010.

 

Cardinal to watch:

 

Foster Langsdorf: The junior from Vancouver, Washington continues to impress. He leads his team in goals (8) and points (17). His last goal secured a 3-1 win over  No. 25 San Diego State Thursday on The Farm. Langsdorf will likely have to continue his offensive dominance if the Cardinal want to remain undefeated in conference play.

 

Drew Skundrich: The junior co-captain continues to thrive in his new role as a midfielder for the Cardinal. Skundrich has notched 7 points, second only to Foster Langsdorf’s team-leading 17. 

 

Andrew Epstein: The redshirt junior is having one of the best seasons by a Stanford goalkeeper in school history; his dominant goals against average (.71) and save percentage (.769) speak for themselves. In his last appearance against No. 25 San Diego State, he put together one of the best performances of his career, stymying a potent Aztecs offense with only one goal allowed and three saves. He’ll need to continue his fantastic play between the pipes if the Cardinal are to come out victorious come Sunday.

 

 

On the away side: No. 17 UCLA (7-3-1, 3-1-0 Pac-12)

 

With nine points and a 3-1-0 record in conference play, UCLA will be eager to take their shot at handing Stanford its first loss in conference play this season. They bring no shortage of offensive fire power to the table — they set an NCAA record on September 5th against Akron by scoring three goals in 32 seconds. They’ll need to bring it against a No. 16 Stanford team that features one of the nation’s best goalkeepers in Andrew Epstein.

 

Bruins to watch:

 

Seyi Adekoya: The junior forward scored the most impressive goal of his career last Thursday against Cal.

 

 

Brian Iloski: The redshirt junior midfielder has done his fair share of damage so far in 2016, recording four goals and 11 points for the blue and gold. His latest goal came on October 13 against Cal, which eventually ended in a thrilling OT victory for the Bruins. He also features some of the best goal celebrations in the Pac-12.

 

 

Story to watch:

 

The biggest storyline heading into Sunday’s match is the battle between two top-ranked opponents that are fighting for the right to be the best in the Pac-12. UCLA’s offense will need to be on its game against a Stanford defense that’s nearly shut the door against San Diego State. Given the stakes, don’t be surprised if this one comes down to the wire.

 

 

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