Realistically, Stanford men’s soccer team knew that its Nov. 17 match with No. 20 California would likely be its season finale. But, that didn’t stop the Cardinal (7-6-5, 4-4-2 Pacific-10) from believing it was a premature ending. In capturing a 1-0 victory over the Golden Bears (11-5-2, 6-3-1 Pac-10) just before Thanksgiving break, Stanford also claimed part of a three-way tie for second place in the Pacific-10 Conference. Despite the team’s win over Cal, they were not invited to compete in the NCAA’s playoffs.

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Wendy Kalkus

Sophomore midfielder Michael Strickland and the Cardinal defense shut down No. 20 Cal’s potent attack in a 1-0 win last week. Even so, Stanford did not make the NCAA draw.

Looking back on early ties with No. 3 Santa Clara and No. 13 UC-Santa Barbara, the team’s inclusion in the NCAA College Cup could be persuasively argued, despite its overall record. Instead, Stanford was passed over by the selection committee in favor of Cal, UCLA (8-8-3, 4-4-2 Pac-10) and Washington (8-7-4, 3-4-3 Pac-10).

“We are a little disappointed at not being in the playoffs,” head coach Bret Simon said. “The nature of men’s Division I soccer is that the teams are very even... so anything can happen in almost any game. That leaves you with the feeling that on your best days you can beat any opponent, which in turn makes you wish we were still competing.”

Stanford proved its ability to battle the best throughout the season, as it managed at least one win against each of the conference’s other three top teams. Saturday’s meeting with the Bears demonstrated the Cardinal’s capabilities once again.

“The final game versus Cal was typical of our Pac-10 games this year,” Simon said. “It was very even and extremely competitive. Both teams had several opportunities that could have led to goals.”

In the first half, Stanford notched seven shots to Cal’s five. The Cardinal was led by Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Bobby Warshaw’s three attempts, but he was unable to find the net. Sophomore keeper John Moore, meanwhile, thwarted shots on goal by two of Cal’s leading scorers, freshman Andrew Wiedeman and senior Javier Ayala-Hill.

The Bears took six more shots in the opening 15 minutes of the second period, but in the 62nd minute, it was Stanford who finally took the lead. Redshirt senior Kyle Hency found sophomore Thiago Sa Freire, who capitalized on the opportunity by hitting the top left corner for his first goal of the season.

All-Pac-10 senior Scott Bolkan noted the teamwork that led to Sa Freire’s score.

“In both halves, I think we kept possession of the ball in their half very well,” Bolkan said. “With all the skill we have in our attacking players, we knew if we kept it up throughout the game we’d get some dangerous chances. Kyle did some great work to set up the opportunity and Thiago saw his chance and finished it.”

Simon similarly saluted both Hency’s assist and Sa Freire’s execution of the game’s only goal.

“The game winner from Thiago was really the result of a great build-up and Kyle Hency’s strong position in front of the Cal goal,” he said. “[Hency] laid off a beautiful ball for Thiago and he struck a perfect shot.”

Equally deserving of recognition, though, was the defense’s ability to shut down Wiedeman and Ayala-Hill, who combined for a fruitless nine shots. Ayala-Hill posted two of those shots in a last-ditch effort in the match’s closing minutes.

Bolkan said Stanford’s defensive success came from locking down around the 18-yard box.

“Our defense was able to stay compact near our 18, and it forced them to take shots from well outside our box,” he said. “Then, the times that they did manage to slip through the cracks, we always had [Moore] in goal to come up with some very big saves.”

Bolkan and the other seniors thought of the Cal game as a fitting, if bittersweet, end to their Stanford careers.

“It’s unfortunate we had another over-.500 season and a second-place finish in the Pac-10, and we didn’t make the tournament,” Bolkan said. “But, as my last game for Stanford, I couldn’t ask for a better ending. I wish I could come back and play another year, though. The team will be very good for several years to come.”

Simon and the underclassmen are already looking toward this bright future, as they begin off-season training today.