Men's Soccer | 9/21/2016 12:12:00 PM
THIS WEEK:
San Francisco vs. #23 Stanford
Friday, Sept. 23, 7 p.m. | Negoesco Stadium
Audio/Video: TheW.tv
LIVE STATS | WATCH
San Francisco vs. UC Riverside
Sunday, Sept. 25, 4 p.m. | Negoesco Stadium
Audio/Video: TheW.tv
LIVE STATS | WATCH
Complete Game Notes [PDF]
The USF men's soccer team plays host to the defending national champion and 23rd-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Friday evening at 7 p.m. The Dons then conclude nonconference play with a 4 p.m. matchup against UC Riverside on Sunday at Negoesco Stadium. Both matches will be streamed live on TheW.tv with USF's broadcast tandem of Charles Wollin (play-by-play) and Joe Dugan (analyst) on the call.
USF (2-5-0) suffered a pair of narrow losses at home this past weekend, losing to Cal State Fullerton 1-0 on Friday night before a goal in the 89th minute helped Air Force top USF on Sunday afternoon. Fullerton's Ross McPhie scored in the 57th minute for the only tally of the match, but USF had numerous chances to get on the board, including a
Jordan Hughes deflection off the crossbar in the 78th minute.
Against Air Force, USF's three goals, 23 shots and 14 shots on goal were all season highs, but the Falcons' Austin Dewing scored the game winner with a minute and a half remaining.
Leon Schwarzer (25'),
Kevin De La Torre (73') and
David Garrett (81') netted goals for the Dons, who rallied back from a 3-1 deficit late in the second half.
The Dons have outshot their opponents in every match but one this season, but are still looking for their offense to breakout. Sunday's 4-3 loss to Air Force was a good sign, as the frontline tallied three goals, the team's highest output since a 3-1 win at Portland last November. Overall, USF holds a 101-77 advantage in shots this year.
USF's defense will be put to the test as Stanford (3-1-) comes into the weekend riding a three-game winning streak after home wins over Harvard (3-1) and Nebraska-Omaha (4-0) this past weekend. The defending national champions, Stanford carries a No. 23 ranking this week. Foster Langsdorf ranks 10th in the NCAA in goals (6), while as a team the Cardinal rank 6th in shots per game (17.7). USF holds a 27-14-7 edge in all-time series versus Stanford, but the Dons are looking to break out of an eight-match winless streak against the Cardinal. USF's last win over Stanford came in 2007 and the two teams worked a 2-2 draw in 2011. Last year's matchup went to Stanford by a 3-1 tally in Palo Alto.
Meanwhile, UC Riverside (4-3-0) snapped a three-game losing streak by winning both contests at home this past weekend over San Diego (2-0) and No. 20 Gonzaga (2-1). Ricardo Ruiz leads the offense with two goals and two assists so far. As a team, UCR has been outshot by opponents 96-54 this year. The all-time series is knotted at 1-1-0, while UC Riverside won last season's matchup 3-1 in Riverside.
Looking ahead, the Dons will have a week off before opening up West Coast Conference play at home against Santa Clara on Oct. 9. They will follow that up with home contests against Portland (Oct. 14) and Gonzaga (Oct. 16).
Adult single-game tickets are available to see the Dons on the newly renovated pitch at Negoesco Stadium for just $10. Seniors and recent alumni who have graduated from USF within the past 10 years can acquire seats for $5 per seat. Back by popular demand, USF faculty, staff and students and youth 12 and under enter Negoesco Stadium free all fall. Fans wishing to secure a season ticket can do so at an affordable price of $40 per fall sport.
Returning for the 2016-17 season, fans can acquire an All-Sports Pass, which includes general admission access to over 90 USF sporting events throughout the athletic calendar spanning not only the men's and women's soccer and volleyball seasons but also men's and women's basketball and baseball in the spring at the brand new Benedetti Diamond.
Single-game and season ticket options are available online, or patrons can call the ticket office at 415.422.2USF (2873) for questions or to secure your All-Sports Pass today.
