MORAGA, Calif. - Playing in their final road match of the regular season, the University of San Francisco men's soccer team (6-6-4, 4-1-2 WCC) used a fast start to edge Saint Mary's (2-8-6, 1-3-3 WCC) in a thrilling 3-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at Saint Mary's Stadium.

With the win, San Francisco defeated Saint Mary's for the first time since 2017 as well as picking up their first victory in Moraga since 2014.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Wasting no time, San Francisco struck early as Joe Core opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a clinical finish off a pass from David Raphael to give the Dons an early 1-0 lead.
• Maintaining their offensive momentum, Raphael added to his stellar performance with an unassisted goal in the 17th minute, doubling the green and gold lead. Just over a minute later, Brayden Beason finished a cross from Reid Roberts to give San Francisco a commanding 3-0 advantage.
• Refusing to back down, the Gaels clawed one back in the 27th minute when Cade Cowan scored to make it 3-1. Despite several late attempts by the Dons, Saint Mary's held USF scoreless for the remainder of the first half, heading into the break with San Francisco leading 3-1.
• Emerging with renewed energy in the second half, Saint Mary's pushed hard for a comeback. In the 57th minute, Justin Sosa converted an assist from Emmanuel Duran to close the gap to 3-2. From there, the Gaels kept the pressure on, tallying several dangerous attempts, but Eric Waltz made critical saves down the stretch to preserve the lead.
• As the final whistle blew, San Francisco held on to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory on the road to pick up their fourth conference win of the season.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Raphael was named Player of the Game as he contributed heavily to San Francisco's success on Saturday, finishing with one goal and one assist.
• Core and Brayden each netted goals, with Beason also logging three shots on goal. For Beason, the freshman now leads the team with five goals while Core is tied for fourth with three goals on the year.
• Eric Waltz anchored the defense with five saves, including key stops in the final minutes of play.
• Overall, six Dons recorded at least one shot on target for San Francisco. For Ryan Firestone, the freshman logged his first shot on goal at the collegiate level.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns home to face Portland on Sunday, November 12 as the Dons will celebrate senior day in their regular season finale. Kickoff from Negoesco Stadium is set for 1:00 pm. Live streaming and statistics will be available via the team's schedule page.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on San Francisco men's soccer, follow @USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
 
MERCHANDISE:
Rep the green and gold! Shop official San Francisco Dons gear at the University of San Francisco bookstore. Click here to purchase.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department thanks its sponsor - Toyota - for their continued support of San Francisco Athletics. Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Frank Allocco at fallocco@usfca.edu or (415) 422-4561.