Who: at No. 5 Stanford (12-2-5)
When: Sunday, November 27th
Where: Stanford, Calif. | Laird Q. Cagan Stadium
Time: 8 p.m. EST | 5 p.m. PST
Tickets: Purchase tickets here
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team, who earned the 12-seed in the 2022 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament and a first-round bye, will face No. 5 Stanford Sunday night in California at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium for a third-round game.  
 
This will be the first time in program history for the matchup and fourth time that the Spartans have reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Click here to watch the game (subscription need).
 
The Spartans claimed its 12^th Division I ticket into the bracket. The Spartans served as host for a second-round game. Ohio State and UNCG tied, 1-1, following two overtime periods and the Spartans prevailed in penalty kicks, 6-5, advancing to the third round.
 
This is the 21^st bid into the NCAA Tournament since the program started, with seven appearances at the Division III level and two at the Division II level. This will be the second time under fourth-year Head Coach Chris Rich, a two-time SoCon Head Coach of the Year.
 
The Spartans earned its ninth regular season title after defeating Wofford, 2-1, on Saturday, October 29 in Spartanburg, South Carolina and their fifth SoCon Tournament Title with a 2-1 win over Mercer on Sunday, November 12 at home.
 
The Spartans finished the SoCon regular season undefeated with a 4-0-1 record. This was the first time since 2004 when UNCG went 6-0-1 that the Spartans went undefeated.
 
They are also 9-0-2 at home this season, which is the first undefeated season at UNCG Soccer Stadium since 2002, when the team went 8-0.
 
Stanford entered the season unranked in the preseason poll, and by the first week of play, the Cardinal was No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. For the next two weeks, Stanford was No. 2 in the rankings, before falling only a few slots. The Cardinal are 12-2-5 overall and concluded its Pac-12 season 4-2-4.
 
As of November 13, Stanford had a RPI of 8, as the second Pac-12 team in the poll. This is the 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Cardinal.
 
AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKINGS (as of 11/20/2022)

• 5^th in won-lost-tied percentage (0.816)
• 7^th in goal differential (29)
• 9^th in shot accuracy (0.494)
• 8^th in total goals (45)
• 11^th in scoring offense (2.37)
• 15^th in shots on goal per game (6.89)
• 17^th in corner kicks per game (6.58)
• 12^th in total points (132)
• 15^th in points per game (6.95)
• 19^th in team goals against average (0.832)
• 21^st in assists per game (2.21)
• 19^th in total assists (42)
• 44^th in shots per game (13.95)

 
SPARTANS AMONG THE NATION

• Niclas Wild – 33rd in goals against average (0.878), 32nd in goalie minutes played (1640:00)
• J.C. Ngando – 2^nd in total assists (13), 5th in assists per game (0.68), 55^th in points per game (1.17), 58th in total points (21), 56th in shots per game (2.74), 82^nd in points per game (1.11)
• Ismail El Harchi – 3^rd in shot accuracy (0.641), 14th in game-winning goals (4), 21st in total goals (10), 26th in goals per game (0.56), 41st in points per game (1.28), 39th in total points (23)
• Maycol Reyes – 33^rd in game-winning goals (3)
• Marco Afonso – 27th in total assists (8), 46th in total points (22), 54th in assists per game (0.42), 59th in points per game (1.16), 80th in total goals (7)

 
RPI RANKINGS

• The RPI from November 13 had UNCG at No. 12.
• UNCG is unbeaten against five teams in the top-40 RPI:, Clemson (No. 5), SMU (No. 14), Louisville (No. 27), Elon (No. 29), and Ohio State (No. 39)
• UNCG is the top SoCon team in the rankings, with Mercer rising No. 105.
• UNCG is the second school from North Carolina in the rankings as Duke is No. 6.

 
CLIMBING HIGH

• The Spartans climbed to No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll for its first top-10 ranking this season and they moved up to No. 3 in the South Region.
• The No. 7 ranking is the highest mark since the 2004 season when the Spartans spent a three-week stretch as number one in the country.
• The squad also received a No. 9 ranking from TopDrawerSoccer and No. 8 College Soccer News.

 
SOCON ALL-CONFERENCE

• Twelve total Spartans earned 15 SoCon All-Conference awards this year.
• Head Coach Chris Rich earned his second SoCon Coach of the Year award.
• He is the seventh coach in SoCon history to earn the honor back-to-back years.
• The 15 All-Conference honors, included J.C. Ngando being named SoCon Player of the Year.
• He is the eighth from UNCG to be named SoCon Player of the Year, as Theo Collomb earned the recognition last year.
• Niclas Wild is the second student-athlete to be named SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year back-to-back years, along with ETSU's Jonny Sutherland in 2016 and 2017.
• Ngando, Wild, Ismail El Harchi, Emmanuel Hagan, and Marco Milanese earned first team recognition.
• Steven Hernandez, Marco Afonso, Basile Marc, and Ethan Conley were selected for the second team.
• Hernandez, Sami Lachekar, Maddox Mallery, and Colton Sessoms earned All-Freshman Team honors.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG advanced on penalty kick, 6-5, to the next round after a 1-1 draw against Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament second round.
• The Spartans are now 8-9-2 overall in NCAA Division I Tournament play.
• El Harchi scored his 10^th goal of the season in the 77^th minute.
• The Buckeyes responded four minutes later with the equalizer.
• The Spartans outlasted the Buckeyes in penalty kicks, 6-5, with Isaac Briner making two huge stops and Maddox Mallery scoring the final goal to advance.

 
SCOUTING STANFORD

• Stanford defeated High Point, 6-2, Sunday in a second round match, after earning its ninth tournament appearance in the last 10 seasons.
• The Cardinal earned its 20^th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
• The Cardinal has 15 different goal scorers this season, while 10 have scored at least twice.
• Shane de Flores has eight goals leading all Cardinal players.
• Fourteen players have tallied assists, as well, led by Carlo Agostinelli who has nine to also lead the Pac-12.
• Stanford currently averages 2.37 assists per game, which is 15^th in the nation.
• The Cardinal was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll.
• They began the season unranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll and launched up to third in the nation following a week of play.
• Head Coach Jeremy Gunn, who has been at the helm for 11 seasons, has guided the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament nine times.
• The Cardinal have won the national titles in three years, claiming the trophy in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
• Stanford is coming off a highly successful regular season campaign that saw the team finish second in the Pac-12 and hold a top-10 national ranking for 12 straight weeks.

 
CARDINAL AROUND THE NATION (as of 11/20/22)

• 1^st in penalty kicks (1.000)
• 8^th in total goals (45)
• 11^th in scoring offense (2.37)
• 11^th in total points (135)
• 12^th in goal differential (27)
• 13^th in points per game (7.11)
• 13^th in shots on goal per game (6.95)
• 14^th in shutout percentage (.474)
• 14^th in total assists (45)
• 14^th in won-lost-tied percentage (.763)
• 15^th in assists per game (2.37)
• 19^th in corner kicks per game (6.53)
• 23^rd in shots per game (15.11)
• 33^rd in shot accuracy (.460)
• 34^th in team goals against average (.947)

 
ALL-TIME HISTORY

• This will be the first contest between the two teams.
• This will be the second match against a Pac-12 team.
• UNCG defeated Washington, 2-1, on November 22, 1998 in the NCAA First Round.