LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Traveling south to begin conference play, the University of San Francisco men's soccer team (6-2-2, 0-1-0 WCC) battled Loyola Marymount (7-2-2, 1-0-0 WCC) through the first 45 minutes of play on Saturday night, but ultimately were defeated 3-0 on the strength of three second half goals by the Lions at Sullivan Field. 
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Attacking out of the gates, Nathan Simeon fired the first shot of the match at 5:14, but was blocked by a Lion defender near the goal.
• Matching each other stride for stride through the rest of the half, USF and LMU each tallied six shots apiece in the opening 45 minutes of action. In the final minute before halftime, Dominic Valdivia ripped a shot at the opposing goal, but Lions goalkeeper Mitchell Wilson denied the attempt to keep the match scoreless heading into the locker room.
• Notching the first point of the match just a few minutes into the second half, LMU got on the board on a goal from Christian Ortiz in the 53^rd minute. As the half continued, the Lions extended their lead to three on back-to-back goals in the 73^rd and 75^th minutes.
• Aiming to climb back down the stretch, USF saw shots from Valdivia, Andri Jonasson and Kevyn Lo, but none could find the back of the net to draw closer to LMU. Hanging on to notch their first conference victory, the Lions secured the 3-0 win behind a strong second half. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• With a team-high four shots on the evening, Valdivia is now fourth in the conference with 28 total shots this season.
• Finding opportunities during his time on the pitch, freshman Omar Juarez tied his season-high with three shot attempts against the Lions.
• As a team, USF lead LMU in corner kicks, 7-3. 

UP NEXT:
USF will return home to the Hilltop to face current conference leader Portland next Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:00 pm. Live streaming, live statistics and tickets are available via the team's schedule page. Notably, this match will serve as the second game of USF's Alumni Appreciation Doubleheader.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the USF men's soccer program, be sure to follow @USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter, @USFDonsMenssoccer on Instagram and @USFDonsMSoccer on Facebook.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.