All it took was one loss in September, and for months Stanford Women’s Soccer was locked out of the top spot in the country by undefeated teams. So, they vanquished an undefeated Virginia in October to leapfrog them in the rankings. The Cardinal then were held at that #2 spot until the last poll of the season, which placed one-loss Stanford ahead of Undefeated Notre Dame as the best team in the nation.

It might have felt like an uphill struggle, hoping for Notre Dame and other undefeated teams to make a misstep. For ACC Coach of the Year Paul Ratcliffe, everything is going exactly according to plan.

“I don’t want to be ranked #1 right now,” said Ratcliffe after that important win vs. Virginia “I want to be #1 at the end and get a top seed.”

They’ve got their top ranking, top seed, and a team in stunning form. This Stanford team is ready, battle-hardened from their last two College Cup runs and as dominant as they’ve been through the 2020s. The time for a title is now.

Ratcliffe’s Stanford have been one of a few teams in phenomenal form all season, averaging nearly four goals per game while sporting a stalwart defense. Nine different players contributed double digit points over the course of the season, and only four of the 22 position players didn’t grab a goal contribution.

More terrifying than the depth of contributors is their youth. Half of the Cardinal’s top 10 players in minutes are underclassmen, making them hungrier and giving them the potential to continue the current level of success.

A young group is early and two all-time great upperclassmen in Elise Evans and Jasmine Aikey have made this the most prolific offense in the nation.

Jasmine Aikey doesn’t see herself as just a striker. She’s played every single central position on the field this season, dropping back into a midfield slot or as an extra central defender. Versatility doesn’t mean a lack of elite skills however, as Aikey’s 15 goals were good enough for 12th in the nation and her 9 assists were good enough for 25th.

Aikey celebrates a tournament brace, continuing her consistent scoring for the season

“For this team her best position is 9,” says Ratcliffe “We need her as a nine.”

So Aikey leads the line, with Freshman Attacker Brooke Holden coming in as backup when Aikey is tired.

Stanford’s Star Striker runs with two opposites on each wing. Junior Andrea Kitahata loves to cut in and shoot from the left side of the 18-yard box, also making the top 50 in goals and standing as Stanford’s designated penalty taker. Kitahata is essentially a second striker that can start out and create from wide areas.

Kitahata is Stanford's Penalty Taker, look for her on any spot kicks later in the tournament.

On the opposite wing, Charlotte Kohler provides assists in spades, creating opportunities for her two more finishing minded teammates. Kohler finished the regular season with 11 assists ranking her 11th in the country in that category.

The attack is supplemented by a talented and tireless engine room that can throw a handful of different looks at you.

Stanford also sports the best young goalkeeper in the nation. Caroline Birkel is a USYNT player and a Freshman starting for Stanford. She starts over Kaiya Jota, a keeper in the English youth system that would start for most other colleges.

Birkel has been a rock for Stanford, keeping them in a major matchup with Virginia through multiple big time saves. Birkel is also an especially good communicator, who you can here throughout the whole stadium correcting and adjusting her defender’s positioning. Birkel was named ACC Goalkeeper of the year as a freshman

Junior Captain Shae Harvey leads the Cardinal through the middle, playing more than any other midfielder this season. Harvey took the 4th most shots on the team as well, being relied on to take shots when more incisive offense isn’t made available. She’s been productive out of that position too, scoring 5 goals and tacking on 8 assists to go with it.

Harvey also has the additional challenge of sharing the midfield with a handful of underclassmen; as a captain the management of the younger players in her position group falls to her. It’s clearly worked, as Harvey’s compatriots in the midfield have also been productive.

“I think they’ve done a great job of stepping into their role and going above and beyond expectations” says Harvey.

There is no greater example of that than the Freshman Y-Lan Nguyen, who played a nearly identical amount of minutes to Harvey. Nguyen sees herself in the mold of a Kevin De Bruyne, and she takes corners and strikes curling shots like the Belgian. However, as a freshman needing to earn her stripes, Nguyen spent much of the year doing super necessary dirty work, and covering every blade of glass as a pressing and connective piece.

The energy and attitude was great from the whole team, especially when you have upperclassmen supporting and rooting for you ”

The midfield I play with are so amazing,” says Nguyen “Whenever I play with them they make it so easy. Their movement and communication supports me as well as their leadership overall.”

Nguyen (Left) celebrates with Aikey (Center) and Mia Bhuta (Right). Nguyen was named to the 2025 ACC All-Rookie team

Mia Bhuta is the other key defensive midfielder, an imposing leader capable of playing fullback, or attacking from the midfield spots. Bhuta, Nguyen and the other midfielders around Harvey are empowered by Ratcliffe to negotiate their spacing and positioning in game, making them dynamic and more difficult to plan around.

“They can rotate depending when we’re playing with a double 6 and then whoever is the strong side can step up and then the other one covers,” explains Paul Ratcliffe “It’s still something they’re working on but they’ve done a great job.”

But if the Cardinal want to win a title this year, it will need to be on the back of their defense remaining consistent.

Elise Evans and Sophie Murdock have been reliable all year. The duo has experience, is comfortable together, and have watched a handful of other Stanford greats do the job. What makes both so dangerous is their bravery. Sometimes a defense will want to sit off, or take away all of the passing options rather than pressing the ball.

“We have a great backline. They’re good in the build out and they’re good at keeping things out of the goal.” Says Shae Harvey describing her defense. “It’s really great playing next to some of the best players in the country.”

Both, but Evans especially, are really effective at realizing they're the uncovered option and making bombing runs with the ball into midfield to connect back to front.

Evans is a senior and is seeking to go out on a championship high, having watched Naomi Girma dominate as a senior when Evans was a freshman. She’s already carved her name into history, winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

“For me, I’ve always wanted to put a fourth star on the jersey and if other things come with that that's awesome. That would be an incredible legacy to leave, especially with this team.” says Evans.

Youth has boosted the Cardinal Defense just as much as experience has, with all 3 first choice fullbacks being underclassmen.

Lily Freer has been the most dominant, playing the 2nd most minutes on the team at either Left, Right, or Center Back. Freer is 5 '8 " and a converted midfielder, fusing wing-like skills with a great defensive work rate. She’s earned Ratcliffe’s trust enough to be deployed consistently and across contexts.

“Lily [Freer] has been amazing for us. She’ll play anywhere, She’s a team first player. Everyone on the team really respects her a lot and the coaching staff adores her. I’m really impressed with what she's done as a freshman. She’ll play anywhere and be impactful for our team,” says Ratcliffe “Lily is a big part of our success in my eyes.”

Lizzie Boamah and Sammy Smith are the pair of sophomores that alternate the other flanks around Freer, with Boamah being the more creative and offensively inclined and Smith being more defensively inclined and physical. Ratcliffe has also alternated which sides they play on, but mostly plays Smith on the right and Boamah on the left.

All of these riches, and Stanford still boasts a bench mob as well. Jung, Klinger, Montoya, Thomas, Jota; All of these players would start or star at other schools, but instead they’re at Stanford with title aspirations. Other teams are talented, other teams have built to this point, but few teams are at the goldilocks point between youth and experience, with years of consistency and championship hunger remaining.

“The most important thing about these big games is imposing your will” says Ratcliffe