University of San Francisco Athletics

Head Coach: Steve Negoesco
Overall Record: 21-1-2    
WCISC Record: 8-0-2
All-WCISC Team: Andy Atuegbu, Paul Korn
Most Goals: Andy Atuegbu, Mal Roche (14)    
Most Assists: Paul Korn (10)
Most Points: Andy Atuegbu, Mal Roche (36 – 14 goals, 8 assists)    
Goals Against Average: Peter Arnautoff (.83)

In 1975, the NCAA Championship games were against a strong Final Four field in Edwardsville, Illinois that included host SIU-Edwardsville, Brown and defending national champion Howard. The Dons had their hands full in the semifinal against Brown, but won 3-2 in triple overtime. Greg McKeown set up a game winner with a pinpoint pass to a surprised and open Mal Roche who scored from 10 yards out.

USF then faced the host team SIU Edwardsville for the championship. The Dons were not intimidated and won the championship 4-0. USF had a quick 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of play when McKeown headed in a Roche cross. By halftime, USF had extended the lead to 3-0 as Paul Korn and Victor Arbalaez each added goals. Andy Atuegbu scored the only goal of the second half on a pass from Kjell Tvedt. Charles Gould of the St. Louis Globe-Dispatch summed it up best: “If the mighty Dons from the banks of the San Francisco Bay are not the best college soccer team ever to win the NCAA Championship, they have to be rated right near the top.”

The Dons had opened the 1975 campaign by defeating one of the most prestigious schools, St. Louis University 5-2 on the road. The next day the Dons played Philadelphia College of Textile and Sciences, but lost 4-2. From that point on, the Dons won 12 straight games with six shutouts before San Jose State tied USF 1-1.

Did You Know? Coach Steve Negoesco changed his entire starting line-up in the semifinal game versus Brown. Negoesco explained the strategy to Sports Illustrated magazine, “I started a whole different team against Brown than I did in the final. It was a gamble, but if I hadn’t, then SIU would have known everything we were going to do.”

They Said It: “I told the boys to expect insults from the people in the stands. They called us a bunch of foreigners and much worse. I’m proud of the way we played. The boys won with style and flair. They answered the insults with ball handling that made the other team look foolish. The 1966 championship was excellent but this 1975 team is a quality team, solid in all respects,” said Coach Steve Negoesco.