Wednesday, November 4
LOUISVILLE, KY
6:00 PM
University of Louisville
vs
Stanford University
Photo by: Eli Dych | Louisville Athletics
November 03, 2026 | Men's Soccer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 8 University of Louisville men's soccer team opens postseason play Wednesday, hosting Stanford in the first round of the 2026 ACC Championship at 6 p.m. ET at Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium.
The fifth-seeded Cardinals (12-2-3, 4-2-2 ACC) welcome the 12th-seeded Cardinal (8-4-3, 1-4-3 ACC) to Lynn Stadium for a win-or-go-home matchup. The contest will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra/ESPN app, with live stats available through StatBroadcast.
Louisville enters the postseason ranked No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and TopDrawerSoccer, with an RPI of 11. The Cardinals closed the regular season unbeaten in their final two matches, earning a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame on Oct. 25 before playing to a 1-1 draw against top-ranked SMU on Oct. 30.
The Cardinals finished the regular season 9-0-2 at Lynn Stadium, marking the program's first unbeaten home regular-season record since 2010. Louisville has scored 37 goals through 17 matches, averaging 2.18 goals per game, while holding opponents to 18 goals.
Offensively, Louisville features a balanced attack led by sophomore forward Andrés Escudero Martín, who has scored seven goals. Junior midfielder Giacomo Zizza and freshman forward Cooper Olson have added six goals apiece, while junior Braydon Sellers has contributed five goals. Zizza also leads the Cardinals with eight assists and 20 points, ranking among the ACC leaders in both categories.
Olson has emerged as a key contributor in the Cardinals' attack, recording six goals and four assists in his first collegiate season. The freshman scored three goals in a two-match stretch against Spalding and Notre Dame, earning ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also found the back of the net in Louisville's regular-season finale against SMU.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham has anchored the Cardinals defensively, recording 35 saves, 11 victories and four shutouts across 16 starts. Louisville has allowed just 18 goals this season, while opponents have managed 53 shots on goal.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
Stanford enters the ACC Championship with an 8-4-3 overall record and a 1-4-3 mark in conference play. The Cardinal have scored 26 goals through 15 matches, averaging 1.73 goals per game, while allowing 22. Stanford has recorded 247 shots and 95 shots on goal.
The Cardinal attack is led by Jayden Fitzgerald Boes and Jack Pymm, who have each scored six goals. Logan Tsopanoglou has added five goals, while Alex Chow has contributed three goals and two assists. Fitzgerald Boes leads the group with a .632 shots-on-goal percentage, while Tsopanoglou has put 70.6 percent of his shots on target.
Jeremy Gunn is in his 15th season leading Stanford and owns a 180-60-57 record at the helm of the program. He has compiled a 367-121-88 career record in 28 seasons as a head coach.
Wednesday's matchup marks the fourth all-time meeting between Louisville and Stanford. The Cardinals trail the series 1-2 but claimed the most recent meeting, earning a 1-0 victory on Sept. 5, 2025, at Lynn Stadium.
CARDS IN THE POSTSEASON
Louisville makes its 13th appearance in the ACC Championship and owns a 9-8-2 all-time record in tournament play. The Cardinals captured the program's first ACC Championship title in 2018, defeating Notre Dame, Wake Forest and North Carolina in consecutive matches to claim the crown. Louisville has also reached the championship match in 2014, falling to Clemson in double overtime.
Head coach John Michael Hayden is in his eighth season leading the Cardinals and holds a 69-51-22 record at Louisville. The Cardinals are seeking their first 13-win season under Hayden and their first since 2017.
UP NEXT
With a victory, Louisville would advance to the ACC Championship quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Cardinals would face the winner of the 13th-seeded Syracuse and fourth-seeded Pitt matchup.
The fifth-seeded Cardinals (12-2-3, 4-2-2 ACC) welcome the 12th-seeded Cardinal (8-4-3, 1-4-3 ACC) to Lynn Stadium for a win-or-go-home matchup. The contest will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra/ESPN app, with live stats available through StatBroadcast.
Louisville enters the postseason ranked No. 8 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and TopDrawerSoccer, with an RPI of 11. The Cardinals closed the regular season unbeaten in their final two matches, earning a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame on Oct. 25 before playing to a 1-1 draw against top-ranked SMU on Oct. 30.
The Cardinals finished the regular season 9-0-2 at Lynn Stadium, marking the program's first unbeaten home regular-season record since 2010. Louisville has scored 37 goals through 17 matches, averaging 2.18 goals per game, while holding opponents to 18 goals.
Offensively, Louisville features a balanced attack led by sophomore forward Andrés Escudero Martín, who has scored seven goals. Junior midfielder Giacomo Zizza and freshman forward Cooper Olson have added six goals apiece, while junior Braydon Sellers has contributed five goals. Zizza also leads the Cardinals with eight assists and 20 points, ranking among the ACC leaders in both categories.
Olson has emerged as a key contributor in the Cardinals' attack, recording six goals and four assists in his first collegiate season. The freshman scored three goals in a two-match stretch against Spalding and Notre Dame, earning ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also found the back of the net in Louisville's regular-season finale against SMU.
Sophomore goalkeeper Nathaniel Abraham has anchored the Cardinals defensively, recording 35 saves, 11 victories and four shutouts across 16 starts. Louisville has allowed just 18 goals this season, while opponents have managed 53 shots on goal.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
Stanford enters the ACC Championship with an 8-4-3 overall record and a 1-4-3 mark in conference play. The Cardinal have scored 26 goals through 15 matches, averaging 1.73 goals per game, while allowing 22. Stanford has recorded 247 shots and 95 shots on goal.
The Cardinal attack is led by Jayden Fitzgerald Boes and Jack Pymm, who have each scored six goals. Logan Tsopanoglou has added five goals, while Alex Chow has contributed three goals and two assists. Fitzgerald Boes leads the group with a .632 shots-on-goal percentage, while Tsopanoglou has put 70.6 percent of his shots on target.
Jeremy Gunn is in his 15th season leading Stanford and owns a 180-60-57 record at the helm of the program. He has compiled a 367-121-88 career record in 28 seasons as a head coach.
Wednesday's matchup marks the fourth all-time meeting between Louisville and Stanford. The Cardinals trail the series 1-2 but claimed the most recent meeting, earning a 1-0 victory on Sept. 5, 2025, at Lynn Stadium.
CARDS IN THE POSTSEASON
Louisville makes its 13th appearance in the ACC Championship and owns a 9-8-2 all-time record in tournament play. The Cardinals captured the program's first ACC Championship title in 2018, defeating Notre Dame, Wake Forest and North Carolina in consecutive matches to claim the crown. Louisville has also reached the championship match in 2014, falling to Clemson in double overtime.
Head coach John Michael Hayden is in his eighth season leading the Cardinals and holds a 69-51-22 record at Louisville. The Cardinals are seeking their first 13-win season under Hayden and their first since 2017.
UP NEXT
With a victory, Louisville would advance to the ACC Championship quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Cardinals would face the winner of the 13th-seeded Syracuse and fourth-seeded Pitt matchup.
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
MF
/ Men's Soccer
MF
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