SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco men's soccer team and visiting Pacific looked destined for extra time, until Dominic Valdivia decided to put an end to the drama and notched his first goal in the green and gold to give the Dons a 1-0 win over Pacific in a Sunday night battle at Negoesco Stadium.
 
The second contest between USF (4-3-0, 3-1-0 WCC) and Pacific (1-6-0, 1-3-0 WCC) followed a different script than the non-conference contest from earlier this year, when the offenses sent five shots to the back of the net. Tonight, the defenses reigned supreme as neither side could score a goal for the first 88 minutes.
 
In the 89^th minute the Dons put the game away. Nonso Adimabua commanded the attention of three defenders on the near side just outside the Tiger penalty box when he sent a pass into a lonely Valdivia, who stood unmarked at the top of the box. The junior launched a low line drive from his right foot past the keeper for the lone goal of the match.
 
"I think it was a fun game in terms of soccer if you are a fan," said second year head coach Leonard Griffin. "It was back and forth, both teams had their moments.  We talked about being disciplined defensively all week long, these guys executed the game plan and we were able to find a goal late there. I'm super proud of the effort, the fight of the group was fantastic tonight. Hopefully we can keep it going. This is a young team, but they've got a little bit of an edge, they've got some heart!"  
 
In the opening half the Tigers had complete control.  Pacific outshot the Dons 8-4 and boasted a 5-2 advantage in corner kicks.  USF did not even attempt its first shot until Rodrigo Bueno sent a harmless shot over the top of the goal in the 37^th minute.
 
Late in the half, things began to get chippy. The Tigers were issued a yellow card in the 32^nd minute, and the Dons were penalized with two yellows and a red to the USF bench in the final 15 minutes of the half.
 
With all the excitement, the Dons had their two best chances of the half in the final 15 seconds. Jeesung Kim had the Dons' first shot on goal at the 44:42 mark, which was saved by the Tiger's keeper. The ensuing corner kick for the Dons led to a shot by Valdivia with five seconds left in the half, which sailed wide.
 
After 45 minutes, freshman keeper Brandon Keniston's evening was finished.  He tallied a pair of saves on eight shots faced and kept the Tigers off the board. Alejandro Munoz (3-0-0) got the win after notching a pair of saves, but the defenders in front of him did the yeoman's work. USF allowed 12 shots, four on goal by an aggressive Tigers squad. In the second half, the Dons' backline limited it to four shots with two on target.
 
Taking the loss for Pacific was keeper Eric Cotton (1-6-0), who finished the night with one save and the one goal allowed.
 
The Dons will return to action on Sunday, March 28 when they travel to Moraga, Calif., to take on Saint Mary's. Sunday's game will feature live stats and will be streamed on the WCC Network.