First week successful for Pac-12 Men’s Soccer

PREVIEWING THE WEEK: Stanford enters the week on top of the United Soccer Coaches Poll after the first week of play. The No. 1 Cardinal play No. 23 Creighton on Friday for the top 25 matchup of the week. No. 15 UCLA kicks off the week against Maryland on also Friday, followed by Oregon State vs. American, No. 10 Washington vs. Akron, and California hosting Northeastern. On Sunday, Oregon State travels to UC Riverside, California hosts No. 23 Creighton, No. 1 Stanford hosts Northeastern, and No. 15 UCLA travels to Georgetown. On Monday, San Diego State hosts UCSB.

WEEKLY RECAP: Four Pac-12 teams finished the first week of the season with a win. No. 10 Washington won both of its games for the week against New Mexico and LMU, placing them on top of the Conference standings. UCLA beat San Francisco, leading to sophomore Joey Parish to recieve the Player of the Week nod.

IN THE RANKINGS: Stanford tops the United Soccer Coaches Poll after the first week of the season after being selected the preseason favorite. Washington closely follows at No. 1 and UCLA is No. 15.

INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL STATS LEADERS: Stanford’s Sam Werner tied for first in assists per game (2.00) and 12^th in total assists (2). His teammate Nico Corti is tied for first in goals against average (0.000) and in saves percent (1.000). UCLA’s Brian Iloski and Stanford’s Foster Langsdorf are tied for fourth in points per game (4.00). Iloski is also second in shots on goal per game (4.00).

TEAM NATIONAL STATS LEADERS: No. 1 Stanford is fourth in the nation in assists per game (5.0), fifth in points per game (13.00), tied for first in saves percentage (1.000), sixth in scoring offense (4.00), tied for first in shutout percentage (1.00), team goals against average (0.00), and won-lost tied percentage (1.000). UCLA is ninth in points per game (12.00), second in scoring offense (5.00), 13^th in shots on goal per game (9.00), 16^th in total goals (5), tied for first in won-lost-tied percentage and (1.000). Stanford is also tied with UCLA and Washington for first in won-lost-tied percentage (1.000).

MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST: San Diego State’s Pablo Pelaez, and Stanford’s Tomas Hilliard-Arce and Foster Langsdorf represent the Pac-12 on the preseason MAC Hermann trophy watch list. 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: Seven Pac-12 student-athletes appear on the TopDrawerSoccer Preseason Best XI. Stanford tied for the most of any school with four players featured on the teams. Stanford’s Tomas Hilliard-Arce was selected for the first team; San Diego State’s Pablo Pelaez and Stanford’s Foster Langsdorf are on the second team; Stanford’s Drew Skundrich is on the third team; and UCLA’s Brandon Terwege, Stanford’s Logan Panchot, and Washington’s Blake Bodily are on the freshman team.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL: Breaking a seven-year streak, the Pac-12 coaches tabbed Stanford as the 2017 favorite over rival UCLA, which is ranked second in the preseason coaches poll. Washington followed in third, San Diego State is fourth, and Oregon State edged out California for fifth and sixth, respectively.

PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12: Stanford’s 2016 co-Pac-12 Player of the Year Foster Langsdorf and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Tomas Hilliard-Arce highlight the star-studded 2017 Preseason All-Pac-12 team. 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Washington’s Handwalla Bwana, UCLA’s junior Erik Holt, and SDSU’s senior Adam Allmaras also appear on the team.

2016 PAC-12 MEN’S SOCCER IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Four Pac-12 men’s soccer teams were selected to participate in the 2016 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, tied for the second-most conference representatives in the field-Stanford, Washington, San Diego State, and UCLA. Stanford went on to win its second consecutive NCAA title after defeating Wake Forest, becoming the first repeat champion since Indiana in 2003-04.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (all times pacific)

2017 PAC-12 MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

THIS WEEK: Joey Parish, SO, Washington

ALSO NOMINATED: Timmy Mueller, OSU; Foster Langsdorf, STAN; Brian Iloski, UCLA.

 NATIONAL HONORS

MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Pablo Pelaez, SDSU; Tomas Hilliard-Arce, STAN; Foster Langsdorf, STAN

IN THE PRESEASON

Pac-12 Preseason Poll | United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll