COLLEGE SOCCER: Pointing to Final Four

Stanford senior Ryan Nelsen can end his college career where it began with one more victory in NCAA tournament

by Rick Eymer

Ryan Nelsen, Stanford's senior midfielder who was honored as the Pac-10 Player of the Year in men's soccer this season, has a chance to finish his collegiate career where he started.

If the third-seeded Cardinal (18-2-1) gets by Southern Methodist (19-4-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. at New Maloney Field), they will advance to the Final Four in Charlotte, N.C.

Nelsen, a native of Christchurch, New Zealand, originally was recruited by North Carolina. He began attending classes there, and practiced with the team during the preseason. But the NCAA stepped in and declared Nelsen ineligible on a technicality and he lost his scholarship.

Nelsen wound up at Division III Greensboro College in North Carolina, where he earned All-American honors in 1998 after leading the team to the Division III Final Four, the same season Stanford reached the Division I title game against Indiana.

"Things worked out," Nelsen said. "I was lucky enough to get into a good program at Greensboro and it helped."

He got into an even better program at Stanford, and is one of the key figures in the Cardinal's run toward the Final Four.

"All 18 players on this team can step up at any time and win a game for us," said Nelsen. "We don't rely on any one individual."

Though it helps to have someone like Nelsen, who has played on the international level and was a member of the New Zealand National Team that was one victory away from reaching the Olympics in Sydney.

"If he had gone to the Olympics, it would have been a bonus to have Stanford represented in the Olympics in soccer," said Stanford Bobby Clark, who used to coach the New Zealand National Team.

Of course, had Nelsen gone to the Olympics he would have missed the Cardinal's first six or seven games (in which Stanford went 6-0-1).

"Either way it was going to work for us," said Clark. "Obviously it worked out better having Ryan around all season."

New Zealand lost to South Africa, 1-0 (giving up a goal in the 89th minute), in a match that decided the final spot in the Olympics.

"The Olympics would have been amazing," said Nelsen. "And I would have missed just a few games. Stanford is so strong they wouldn't have missed me."

Still, New Zealand's loss was Stanford's gain, and Nelsen has helped bring the Cardinal to the brink of their second Final Four appearance in three years.

This senior class has reached the NCAA tournament every year, something no other class at The Farm can claim. Yet, there's still something missing. The 1997 and 1999 teams lost in the first round. The 1998 team lost to Indiana in the title match.

"This year started the day we lost in the first round last year," said Nelsen. "That was a heartbreaking loss (that went four overtimes) and that left a bitter taste in our mouths. The amount of work we've put in over the winter, spring and summer is amazing. Even the coaching staff has worked overtime.

"It's always been our goal to do what we enjoy," he continued. "To get this far we've done a good job. But nobody is happy yet. We got where we are because of the amount of work we put in. If we lose, we can't be disappointed with what we've done this year, but we wouldn't be satisfied."

Nelsen, who spent the summer competing in the Confederation Cup in Tahiti, also said being named Pac-10 Player of the Year was more of a team honor than an individual award.

"I don't play well unless the team plays well," said Nelsen. "It's really an indication of how good this team is. As far as I'm concerned, there were 11 guys on this team who could have won that award."

Nelsen said he knows just enough about No. 6 seed Southern Methodist to have him concerned.

"I know they're good and they have talented players," he said. "They're organized. It will be a battle. The guys know what they're in for. We know we have to continue to work hard."

Playing in the Pac-10 has also helped Stanford prepare for this caliber of game as well.

"The Pac-10 is the toughest conference in the country," he said. "We do know what it's like to play quality teams and quality players. That experience is essential."

Nelsen is also hoping for a large, vocal crowd at New Maloney Field on Saturday night too. After all, it's the final appearance of the season at home, and the final home appearance ever for the seniors.

"We had a good crowd last week and school was out," said Nelsen. "We hoping for another good crowd."

Stanford should give them a good show, too.

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