Pac-12 Men's Soccer begins Conference play

PAC-12 OPENS CONFERENCE PLAY: Pac-12 men’s soccer begins Conference play this week with five matches, four of which will be played in the Bay Area and broadcast on Pac-12 Networks. On Thursday, UCLA kicks off its league slate against CALIFORNIA at 3 p.m. PT followed by STANFORD hosting SAN DIEGO STATE at 5 p.m. PT, both live on Pac-12 Networks. WASHINGTON travels to Corvallis to face OREGON STATE for a lone Saturday match. Sunday’s action starts on Pac-12 Bay Area with SDSU at Cal at 12 PT, leading up to UCLA versus Stanford at 5 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks. Stanford, Washington and UCLA are all receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll.

All six league programs enter Pac-12 play with winning overall records with Stanford (3-1-3) and SDSU (4-2-1) tied with a Conference-best .643 win percentage. Stanford’s program record 21-match unbeaten streak concluded last week after narrowly falling to Pacific, 1-0. The three-time defending national champion Cardinal hasn't lost back-to-back matches in the same season since 2012. The Aztecs won their fourth-straight game with a 2-1 victory over UNLV Monday night, scoring two goals in the opening five minutes.

California (4-2-2) leads the Conference with 1.88 goals per game on the season and looks to rebound after a 3-2 overtime loss at Santa Clara. Senior Shinya Kadono scored his Pac-12-leading eighth goal of the season against the Broncos, which ranks fifth nationally, to collect his third-career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor.

Oregon State (4-2-2) conceded its first match since its season opener in a close 2-1 loss against local foe and nationally ranked Portland. The Beavers welcome Washington (5-3-0) which leads the league in points (43) and assists (17) as forwards Kyle Coffee and Scott Menzies each have four goals and midfielders Jaret Townsend and Joey Parish have three assists apiece.

UCLA’s (4-3-0) offense this season has been powered by Mohammed Kamara who leads the Pac-12 in shots per game (4.00) and is tied for second with four goals. The Pac-12 has amassed a 24-13-8 overall record in out-of-conference action for a .622 win percentage that ranks second nationally behind only the ACC (.680).

NATIONAL STATS: Stanford continues to dominate the backfield and ranks third nationally in team goals-against average (.261), and save percentage (.926) while boasting the sixth-best shutout percentage (.714).

Cardinal goalkeeper Andrew Thomas ranks third in the country in goals-against average with 0.263 and save percentage (.917). Thomas is tied with Washington’s goalkeeper Saif Kerwala for the 10th-most shutouts, posting four blank sheets this season. California’s Shinya Kadono continues to shine in the national ranks, moving up to fifth in points (18) and goals (8), while recording the sixth-most goals per game (1.0) and eighth-most points per game (2.25).

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kadono scored his Pac-12-leading eighth goal of the season in California’s 3-2 overtime loss to Santa Clara on Saturday night. The senior has scored in three consecutive matches and leads the Conference with 18 total points. He also ranks in the top-10 nationally in four statistical categories including the fifth-most points and goals. Becomes the second Golden Bear in program history to collect three-career Pac-12 Player of the Week awards (Andrew Wiedeman 2007-09) and marks Cal’s 36th all-time nod.

MAC HERMANN NOMINEE WATCH: Drake Callender of California and Erik Holt of UCLA represent the Pac-12 on the preseason MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. Goalkeeper Callender has made a league-leading 24 saves for a .706 save percentage ranks second. Holt has anchored the Bruins defense for three shutouts this season to help the Bruins tie for second in the Conference with seven goals allowed.

Twenty eight players from NCAA Division I schools around the country have been marked as potential contenders for the 2017 Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Trophy. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer, presented annually to one male and one female athlete.

TOPDRAWERSOCCER PRESEASON BEST XI: Stanford defender Tanner Beason, two-time All-Pac-12 first team selection, has been selected to the preseason All-Pac-12 team and the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI first team. UW defender Quentin Pearson was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Best XI third team while new teammate Ethan Bartlow earned a spot on the freshman team. Including Bartlow, the Pac-12 had three TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI freshman team selections, which tied for the most of any conference in the country. UCLA was the only school to land two incoming players on the team with forward Matt Hundley and goalkeeper Justin Garces.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Stanford has been predicted to win the 2018 Pac-12 men’s soccer title by the Conference’s head coaches for the second-straight season. Washington was picked to finish second in the league as the Huskies bring back strong leadership with 12 upperclassmen from last season's NCAA Tournament team. UCLA is slated to finish third followed by Oregon State and San Diego State tied for fifth place in the Conference poll.

PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12: Stanford and Washington lead the preseason All-Pac-12 team with three honorees each followed by UCLA and Cal with two selections. The preseason team consists of 11 field players and one goalkeeper and features eight returning 2017 All-Pac-12 honorees. Reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Blake Bodily of Washington and Drake Callender of California and Erik Holt of UCLA headline the preseason All-Pac-12 team.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded standings)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Times PDT)