After thirteen years of patient waiting a dream was ful. filled for Gus Donoghue, soccer coach on the Hilltop since 1941. The dream goes back to Donoghue's own playing days in 1936 when he led a group of Dons to the Pacific Coast Conference Championship, and plans were made for that group to participate in a National Championship game against Penn State, the supposed soccer powerhouse of the country. Due to unforeseen circumstances. the game was never played and Coach Donoghue began working to make his dream come true.
The opportunity to play for the national title never arose until this past season when the Done had annexed their second Conference Title and Penn State found itself the leaders of the Eastern sector. St. Louis was chosen for the site of the post-season game and on January Ist, the first annual Soccer Bowl was held.
Entering the field an the underdogs, the Dons soon showed the crowd the type of hall that was played here on the Coast was of the same quality that they had in the East. The Lions were very much baffled by the style of play of the Dons and found themselves trailing 1-0 at the During the third quarter, Penn State scored a tying goal and not more than two minutes had elapsed before the Hilitoppers had scored again with the toe of Dick Baptista, who had scored the first goal. With this 2-1 lead, USF played a defensive game, the likes of which had never been seen before, and victory seemed theirs until, with only fifteen seconds to play, a penalty kick was awarded to the Lions, who scored and the game ended in a tie, 2-2.
Although the Done came back as Co-National Champions, the Eastern papers claimed that they had won the game, since the tying goal, scored by Penn State, was tallied in an overtime period, something never allowed in soccer. Despite the tie, the Dons still were the Champs and an indication that Soccer on the West Coast was big time.
In Conference competition, the Don booters broke all existing records on the West Coast. Rated as a pre-season favorite to annex the crowd which they had won in 1948, the Dons themselves did not figure to have the strong team which they did.
Welcoming back such stars as Steve Negoesco, All-American fullback: Dick Baptista, record breaking center forward; Angelo Carmassi, brilliant goalie: Bob Lee, captain and center hall, Joe Matute, stellar wingman, Charlie Heredia, halfback, and the Ugarte boys, Mario and Luis, Coach Donoghue planned for a successful season. It was the newcomers that helped round out the team and make it the power that it was. F. Osibogun, a halfback from Nigeria,Â
Hank Kirner, forward, and Rosindo Diaz, fullback, were the newcomers who received the first string berths. Opening with Santa Clara, the Dons found that after disposing of the Brones 6-3, the road was pretty smooth for them. Their arch-rival. California, was next on the list (TheDon).
Mark Steinberg was a native of Tsinglao, China and graduated in 1955 in Business.
