Bangor native Josh Partal didn’t intend to sit back and wait for his turn to get some playing for the Stanford Cardinal soccer team just because he was a freshman this fall.
He was going to contend for a starting spot right away, saying if you earn a starting spot, you should start even if you’re a freshman.
And he did.
Partal had a memorable campaign as he started all 20 games for the Cardinal, which was the No. 1-ranked team in the country in five of the 13 weekly United Soccer Coaches national polls and wound up ninth in the final poll with a 14-4-2 record.
Stanford reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 where it lost to eventual national champion Washington 1-0 on a goal with just 2:47 remaining in regulation.
Partal, a central midfielder, led the Cardinal in assists with six and was tied for 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was chosen to the All-Atlantic Coach Conference Rookie team by the league’s coaches.
He was eighth on the team in minutes played at 1420 and played all 90 minutes in Stanford’s two NCAA Tournament games, a 1-0 win over Kansas City and the loss to Washington in which Stanford outshot the Huskies 23-9.
In Top Drawer Soccer’s midseason rankings, he was rated the 10th best freshman in the country among the top 100.
And, at the end of the season, he was a Top Drawer Soccer freshman second team All-American.
“It was a great experience,” Partal said. “I wanted to come in and make an impact as soon as I could and I was fortunate enough to start every game, which was amazing. I was able to grow into more of a leadership role even as a freshman.”
He said he had confidence in himself and his ability coming into the season and felt his adaptability was advantageous because he could fit into any system. He said he wasn’t surprised that he had such a productive campaign.
“I came in without any expectations. I just wanted to be the best player I could be and help the team. Hopefully, that would earn me a starting spot and, luckily, it did. It was a great year, I was happy with it,” he said.
He said he was pleased to earn his various honors “but, at the end of the day, when you’re in college, all you want to do is win a national championship.”
Partal has excelled at every level.
At Bangor High School, he was the only freshman chosen to the Maine All-State soccer team. He scored 12 goals and was the No. 56 recruit in the class of 2025 by PrepSoccer.com.
He transferred to Milton Academy in Massachusetts and spent three years there while also playing for Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution Academy’s teams for three and half years. He played on the MLS’s team’s No. 2 squad for three games.
He was named the Massachusetts High School Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024 after scoring seven goals and assisting on eight more to lead Milton Academy to an 18-2-2 season and a berth in the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A Tournament title game.
The son of Amy and George Partal was chosen the Independent School League Player of the Year and was a high school All-American who played in the high school All-American game.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Partal said he learned a great deal from the veterans on the Stanford team.
“I learned what it’s like to be a part of a team where every single player is as talented as you are,” Partal said. “I couldn’t be happier about what they taught me and about being able to play alongside not only great soccer players but even better people.”
He noted that the competitive nature of their practices is conducive to player development.
“We have a saying that you have to pay your rent every day to earn the next day. You have to push yourself every single day in training and that enabled me to really improve,” Partal said.
He wants to keep getting better in every aspect of his game and evolve into more of a leader.
“I want to build on last year. I want to get involved in as much of the attack as I can next season,” Partal said.