09-21-2026, 02:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-21-2026, 02:29 PM by OCcardinal.)
I'm surprised there's been so little commentary on yesterday's big win over previously undefeated (and Massey #1) Wake Forest.
- Great game from Lizzie Boamah. I don't know how she had the energy to play 90 minutes after playing all 390 minutes for the US U20s in Poland—including 120 minutes on Wednesday—then flying 12+ hours back home. And she was STILL faster than Wake's forwards, as her brobdingnagian recovery on the back-pass flub with about a minute left showed. We are a different team with her at center back, and Freer is much better as an outside back/wingback instead of filling in for Boamah at center back. Boamah's return changes this team dramatically.
- Birkel. A solid game from Birkel and I'm glad to have her back. She had very good hands. The open goal fiasco with 1 minute left wasn't her fault. It was a bad back pass. Again, I'm so thankful Boamah saved the day there.
- The biggest thing for me was Bhuta playing all 90 minutes in midfield. She labored a bit at the end, but the fact that she's healthy enough to do that is a big deal. A midfield of a healthy Bhuta, Nguyen and Kohler is ridiculously good. Interesting that Ratcliffe kept all three out there for the full 90—it was a very short bench. I suspect we'll see more of that against the very top teams, and I don't blame him. That trio may be one of the best midfields he's ever had. Bhuta was an All-American the last time she played midfield full-time. Nguyen was a national freshman of the year last year and, of course, is a US U20. And Kohler is a legitimate MAC Hermann contender this season.
And thank God Nguyen is back. She's such a good defender and so good at maintaining possession. Sadie Leal-Schuman did a nice job filling in and contributed some excellent set-piece assists, and Milly Bray was solid too, but against top opponents the Bhuta-Nguyen-Kohler midfield is on another level.
- I was really impressed with freshman Peyton Marinos, and apparently the coaches were too—she got about 50 minutes. Really liked her goal. Her speed is going to create a lot of opportunities, and yesterday she paired it with a terrific finish. She was a hero again with 30 seconds left when she pressured the Wake GK on the dropped ball restart and kept her from sending it downfield. Her speed in the open field has to be downright terrifying for a goalkeeper. She's Stanford's highest-rated attacking recruit from the 2026 class, so it's great to see her already showing why.
- Bella Winn also had a really impactful game. She assisted Marinos' game-winning goal and made a ton of impressive plays tracking back defensively. Incredible work rate over her roughly 70 minutes.
- This team is good. After the Louisville loss, this team was suddenly in some danger of missing the ACC tournament. I feel MUCH better about them now that the U20s are back—even with Klinger not yet back in the lineup. At this point, a first-round ACC tournament bye feels like a realistic possibility. Though we've still got a surging North Carolina and a suddenly-healthy Notre Dame coming up.