VIDEO: post-game presser
SAN FRANCISCO – Senior David Garrett scored a pair of goals to lead USF past Santa Clara, 2-0 in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools.
 
The win was the Dons' third in a row and evens USF's record at 5-5 on the season. Santa Clara suffered its second consecutive loss to fall to 5-5 on the year. USF has won the last three matches against its arch rival dating back to the 2014 season.
 
Garrett's fifth and sixth goals of the season both came on headers, the first in the 35th minute and the second in the 75th minute of the contest. USF outshot Santa Clara, 12-11 and keeper Andre Glasnovic was behind the Dons' first shutout of the year.
 
Santa Clara was the more aggressive team early on, using its speed on the wings to make the Dons uncomfortable. In the game's opening minutes, Stoshi Chaffin sent two dangerous crosses through the goal crease that went unanswered. In the 20th minute, a James Huffer cross from the right wing found Carlos Delgadillo in the box, but Delgadillo one-timed the chance over the cross bar as the match remained scoreless.
 
USF made the most out of its best scoring chance of the first half when Manny Padilla sent a beautiful cross from the left wing to a crashing Garrett in the box, whose header eluded Santa Clara goalkeeper Dakota Havlick to give the Dons a 1-0 lead at 33:25.
 
Garrett's second goal of the night came off a pin point corner kick from junior Aaron Lombardi with 15 minutes remaining in the match. He has now scored four goals in the last four matches, running his career total to 16.
 
"The service was probably better than the finish," said head coach Eddie Soto. All David had to do was put his head on both balls. He is hot right now and he is feeling it. If we keep giving him balls in dangerous spots, he will finish."
 
Minutes after Garrett's second goal, junior Leon Schwarzer narrowly missed a chance to give the Dons a 3-0 lead when his shot deflected over the cross bar.
 
"Everything we've been working on over the course of the season came together tonight," said USF head coach Eddie Soto. "We got two great goals by David but as importantly we were very tight defensively and didn't give anything up, even though they threw everything at us."
 
USF will return to action on Friday, Oct. 14 when the Dons welcome the Portland Pilots to Negoesco Stadium. Match time is set for 7:00 p.m. USF's 1966 national championship team will be honored at halftime.