SAN JOSE/SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - After starting the season by collecting two wins, the University of San Francisco men's soccer team (2-0) is looking to continue their success as they are set to face two opponents in the Bay Area this week. This Thursday, the Dons will hit the road for their first away game at San Jose State followed a home game against UC Riverside on Sunday afternoon. 
 
GAME 3 INFORMATION:
Opponent: San Jose State (1-0-1)
Date: Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023
Time: 5:00 pm PST
Location: San Jose, Calif.
Site: Spartan Soccer Complex
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
GAME 4 INFORMATION:
Opponent: UC Riverside (0-2)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm PST
Location: San Francisco, Calif.
Site: Negoesco Stadium
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• The Dons are coming off two consecutive wins at home to start the season. Opening the season last Thursday night, San Francisco blanked Utah Tech on opening night and used a goal from Max Hamelink, last year's top goal scorer for USF, to secure their first victory of 2023. Following that win on Thursday, the Dons faced Detroit Mercy and battled for a 2-1 win. Freshman Rylan Smith recorded his first collegiate goal as a Don during the match on Sunday afternoon alongside Gabriel Bracken Serra who tallied his fourth career goal.
• As a team, San Francisco outshot their opponents 17-8 in Thursday's game and 14-3 on Sunday. Leading the charge, sophomore Olivier Sylvain recorded four shots against Utah Tech and two more shots against Detroit. Notably, the midfielder has played all 90 minutes in both matches for the Dons so far.
• In goal, Eric Waltz remains key for the green and gold as he logged his fifth career shutout in their first game of the season, which included recording five saves on eight shots faced. Against Detroit Mercy, he faced only three shots, recording one save. 

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS:

• Ending their first week with one tie and one win in two away games, the Spartans were led by sophomore Angel Iniguez who was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week. Notably, the midfielder assisted the Spartan's lone goal in the 87th minute to earn a tie against Bakersfield on Thursday afternoon. Against UC San Diego on Sunday, he scored the first goal of the game and then assisted the game-winning goal to lead the team to a 2-1 victory against the Tritons.
• After two games, the Spartans are recording an average of 16.5 shots per game. Junior Beau Leroux leads the team with a total of eight recorded shots. The midfielder was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region team in 2022 after finishing with 16 points from seven goals and two assists along with 62 total shots.
• Awarded WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, David Sweeney returns for his final season as a Spartan in 2023. A reliable asset in goal, he tallied eight shutouts last season and ten wins on his record. In their SJSU's season opener, Sweeney faced eight shots and made five saves against CSU Bakersfield. 

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS:

• Opening the year against fellow WCC opponent Gonzaga, UC Riverside fell at home to Gonzaga (2-1) on Aug. 24 before dropping a road contest at Oregon State (3-0) on Aug. 27.
• Scoring their lone goal last week off a penalty kick, junior Luka Lukic stepped up to tie the game against the Bulldogs in the 60th minute.
• Dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. senior Brenden Clark finished the 2022 season with 21 points, which led the Highlanders, as he tallied seven goals and seven assists. Recording 39 shots last season, he leads the team this year with five shots over the course of their two games so far.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Since 2005, San Francisco leads the head-to-head series with the Spartans with a record of 9-2-1. Most recently, the Dons came back from being down one goal to tie the game for a final score of 1-1 on September 1, 2022 at Spartan Soccer Complex.
• Since 2015, San Francisco leads the head-to-head series with the Highlands with a record of 2-1. Last time out, UC Riverside took down San Francisco, 3-1, at home in Riverside on Sept. 19, 2021.

SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor - Nike - 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.

FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's soccer program, be sure to follow @USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter, @USFDonsMenssoccer on Instagram and @USFDonsMSoccer on Facebook.