Stanford Upsets Louisville 2-1 in ACC Tournament
Jayden Fitzgerald Boes scored in the 89th minute to lift the 12-seed Cardinal past the 5-seed Cardinals in the first round.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Soccer
Stanford defeated Louisville 2-1 in the first round of the ACC Men's Soccer Tournament, with Jayden Fitzgerald Boes scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute. Stanford advanced to the quarterfinals, while Louisville had equalized in the 87th minute on an Emil Thor header.
Why it matters
The win sends the 12-seed Stanford into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, a result that shifts the bracket after a lower-seeded side beat a higher-seeded opponent. For Louisville fans, the loss ends the home side's run in the tournament first round.
Stanford outshot Louisville 7-3 on target despite both teams finishing with 12 total shots, while Louisville won the corner-kick count 7-2. Rowan Schnebly recorded two saves for Stanford, and Victor Fung scored the first goal of his career in the 43rd minute.
The players
Jayden Fitzgerald Boes
Stanford forward who scored the winning goal in the 89th minute of the first-round match.
Emil Thor
Louisville player who headed in the equalizing goal in the 87th minute.
The details
Stanford's Trevor Islam played a through ball that Fitzgerald Boes struck from the right side for the winner. Louisville had pulled level through Thor's header before Stanford found the decisive goal late in the match.
Timeline
Nov. 4, 2026: Stanford defeats Louisville 2-1 in the ACC Men's Soccer Tournament first round in Louisville, Ky.
Nov. 8, 2026, 3 p.m.: Stanford hosts Syracuse, broadcast on ACC Network.
Season Trajectory
Stanford's upset of the 5-seed Louisville keeps the 12-seed in the conference tournament and advances the Cardinal to the quarterfinals with a 9-4-3 record. The result reshapes the bracket for a team that entered the tournament as an underdog.
Stanford's advance to the quarterfinals means the Cardinal will play at least one more tournament match before the season ends. Fans tracking the ACC bracket can follow the next round on ACC Network.
The takeaway
A lower-seeded team can reach the quarterfinals with a late goal, as Stanford showed by winning in the 89th minute. Watch the bracket closely, since a single decisive moment can reshape a tournament run.
What happens next
Stanford hosts Syracuse on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m., with the game broadcast on ACC Network.
Further reading
For more on the league, see the Soccer coverage section.
