University of San Francisco Athletics

Head Coach: Steve Negoesco
Overall Record: 17-2-2   WCC Record: 6-0-1
All-WCC Team: Per Haugvaldstad, Vidar Larsen, Erik Nielsen, Erik Visser
Most Goals:  Fitelo Atuegbu (12)    Most Assists:  Fitelo Atuegbu (6)
Most Points: Fitelo Atuegbu (30 – 12 goals, 6 assists)    Goals Against Average: Aram Kardzair (0.78)
USF Hall-of-Famers:  Aram Kardzair, Erik Nielsen, Steve Negoesco

With several key returning starters from the 1980 national championship team, including high scoring forward Roar Anderson and goalie Aram Kardzair, hopes were high for a repeat in 1981. In the season opener, the Dons were invited to the dedication of Indiana’s new soccer stadium for a rematch of the national title game from the year before, and fell 2-1 to the Hoosiers before a national TV audience.  

The Dons won the West Coast Athletic Conference and highlights during the regular season included wins over UCLA (2-0), Stanford (1-0), California (2-1) and Connecticut (2-1). The Dons swept through the WCAC tournament with a 7-1 win over Loyola Marymount in the semifinals, and a 2-0 shutout over Portland in the title game.

USF was ousted by San Diego State 1-0 in the NCAA playoffs. In fact, the Aztecs handed the Dons two of their three defeats of the season, having beaten USF 2-0 back on October 9. However, it was later revealed that the Aztecs had used an ineligible player during the NCAA playoff game and San Diego State was forced to forfeit. But at that point the season was over for USF and so the Dons settled for an 'after-the-fact' asterisk win over the Aztecs, a 17-2-2 record, and the empty feeling that came along with being denied an opportunity to repeat as national champions.