On Sept. 27, Negoesco Stadium hosted back-to-back Dons Soccer matches, with the women’s team kicking off first against the St. Mary’s Gaels, followed by the men’s team facing the Oregon State Beavers.
For the women’s team, the Gaels and Dons settled for a draw, chipping in one goal apiece.
St. Mary’s threw the first punch, with Gaels’ forward Sydney Middaugh using her speed to force a right side breakaway. Dons goalkeeper Tyra Bengtsson-Stenseth made a diving attempt to block, but Middaugh’s hesitation dribble freed her for an easy score six minutes into the game.
USF had plenty of attempts to respond in the first half, with the Dons maintaining solid field position throughout, but Gaels’ goalkeeper Kate Plachy put on a defensive showcase, helping the Gaels’ collect seven saves on 12 of USF’s goal shots in the first 45 minutes alone.
In the second half, Dons forward Kaitlyn Sasadeusz put her team on the board with a score assisted by defender Natalie Drotzmann at the 50 minute mark.
The teams traded shots for the rest of the game with no success, even with an added chippiness, and the game ended 1-1.
“In the first half, we had some really good chances,” Head Coach Pinder Nijjar said in a post game interview. “Got into the 18-yard box numerous times. […] We had chances in the second half as well. I wish we had a bit more composure at times to finish those.”
The team moves to 0-1-1 in conference matchups, with their initial loss against Loyola Marymount University on Sept. 27. They will travel to Spokane, Washington to go up against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 4.
The men’s game vs the Beavers got off to a slow start until Beavers mid-fielder Lucas Fernandez-Kim scored a header off a right side lob pass in the 20th minute.
In the second half, Oregon State doubled the score 57 minutes in when midfielder Arnau Farnos collected a goal after a previous shot deflected off the left goal post.
Down 2-0, Dons forward David Raphael brought the crowd back into the game, freeing himself down midfield to punch in a score, with 16 minutes left in the game.
With time running out, USF began forcing shots in hopes of tying the game, but Oregon State’s defense kept their position, ultimately leading to their victory.
“Disappointed obviously with the result. We controlled the majority of the game. Doesn’t matter, Oregon State is a really good team,” Head Coach Chris Brown said in the post-game interview. “It’s a frustrating result, but we just made our road a little bit harder, and we’ll bounce back.”
USF begins conference play with an 0-1 start, with an overall record of 5-2-1. They’re currently preparing to travel to San Diego to play the University of San Diego Toreros.
Brown continued, “Obviously, [San Diego is] a great team. Their conference is fantastic this year, and we’ll be ready for them.”
Following the match, they return back home to Negoseco Stadium to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 10.
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