Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Unable to recover from two first half goals by San Diego, the San Francisco women's soccer team dropped its West Coast Conference opener 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at sun-soaked Negoesco Stadium.
Entering play on Saturday, USF (5-4-3, 0-1-0 WCC) was unbeaten at home, while the Toreros (5-7-0, 1-0-0 WCC) were coming off a 1-0 victory against Cal State Northridge after losing four straight matches.
The Toreros opened scoring in the first half with a goal from defender Dani Russell in the 11th minute. Meggie Gulczynski's corner kick from the left side found the head of Russell in the middle of the box to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. Russell's goal was her second on the season.
San Diego struck again three minutes later when senior midfielder Mariah Hobbs' crisp shot sailed past Dons' fourth-string goalkeeper
Megan Connor and into the upper left side of the net. Meghan O'Rourke earned the assist to give the Toreros an early 2-0 lead.
The match remained scoreless in the second half, as USF played staunch defense and Connor recorded six saves to push her match total to eight. Connor was in net for USF due to injuries to the Dons first, second, and third string goalkeepers. In her first full match of 2012, the senior from Oak Park, Calif. played well, keeping the Toreros scoreless across the final 76 minutes of action.
Sophomore phenom
Mackenzie Krieser added two shots on goal in the second half, but San Diego goalkeeper McKenna Tollack played sound in net for the Toreros, recording three saves on the afternoon. Vasquez finished with two shots, while sophomore defender
Lauren AbuAli added one shot on goal.
San Francisco returns to the pitch on Sunday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. against WCC foe Pepperdine.
