1994 West Coast Conference Champions
Head Coach: Steve Negoesco
Overall Record: 9-7-4 WCC Record: 5-0-1
All-WCC Team: Staale Soebye (Player of the Year), Tim Weaver
Most Goals: Staale Soebye (15) Most Assists: Staale Soebye (10)
Most Points: Staale Soebye (40 – 15 goals, 10 assists) Goals Against Average: Scott Thompson (0.86)
USF Hall-of-Famers: Staale Soebye, Steve Negoesco
The 1994 USF soccer team won the West Coast Conference with a 5-0-1 record despite suffering through adversity for much of the season. The team was much like USF’s symbol, “the Phoenix.” The team was crippled by injuries and midway through the season the Dons’ record had dipped to 3-6-2 and any dreams of a WCC title and an NCAA playoff birth seemed farfetched.
But the players were determined to earn the WCC’s NCAA bid, and went undefeated for the remainder of the regular season, clinching the automatic selection with a 4-1 win over St. Mary’s in the regular season finale. The Dons made their playoff run based on defense. In the seasons final nine games, five of them overtime, USF lost only once, allowing just four total goals. Adding up the 13 overtime periods, the Dons gave up only four goals in 995 minutes of soccer. The goals against average over that span was 0.36
The Dons faced Fresno State on the road in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs and the two teams played to a 1-1 tie through four overtime periods. The Dons advanced to the second round by topping the fourth ranked Bulldogs on penalty kicks 3-1. USF played 29 minutes with 10 men against 11 and the final 33:01 with nine against 11 due to the ejections of Jason Wescott and David Kurtz-Reyes. USF then traveled again to Southern California for a second round match-up with highly touted Cal State Fullerton. The pesky Titans prevailed over the weary Dons 1-0 in triple overtime to end USF’s season at 9-7-4.
Did You Know? USF Head Coach Steve Negoesco finished the 1994 season just seven wins short of 500 career victories with a record of 493-111-62. He would reach the coveted milestone the following season with a 2-1 overtime win over Stanford, becoming the first NCAA soccer coach to post his 500th collegiate career victory. Negoesco said at the time, "The 500 games are just a number. I'm more concerned with the quality of play."
In 1997, he became a professional with the San Francisco Bay Seals of the USISL, and then in January 1998, the Richmond Kickers signed Weaver. On February 1, 1998, the San Jose Clash selected Weaver within the 1st Round (3rd overall) of the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft. In July 1998, Weaver had his right leg broken by a bad tackle and had played twelve games up to that time, but missed the rest of the season. He attempted to come back in 1999, but played only one game before being released. In 2000, he returned to the Seals, in the USL A-League, for one last season. Weaver was recalled by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2002 for 3 games during the World Cup to replace Jeff Agoos but did not appear in any games.After his retirement from soccer, Weaver pursued a career in medicine.
