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SAN FRANCISCO—The Dons came into the match looking for its third win over a ranked opponent and played tight with No. 11 Stanford for much of the first half but a critical red card that period shifted the momentum as  Stanford scored three times following the penalty to take the non-conference match 3-0 on Friday night at Negoesco Stadium.
 
"Tonight was a night for us to gauge where we're at nationally," San Francisco head coach Eddie Soto said. "I think our guys can all leave the field, think about the moments of the game when it was 0-0, and think we're right there. If they're the 11th best team in the country, we can compete.
 
"I told the [Stanford] coach at the end, I wish we would have been 11 v. 11 because it would have been interesting. I would not mind playing a team like that again if we got to the playoffs."
 
The Dons (8-4-2) will return to action next week in West Coast Conference action at Saint Mary's on Oct. 31.
 
In the eighth minute, David Romney sent a cross into the far side of the box which is where Joshua Smith headed the ball but he wasn't able to get much on the attempt and Stanford goalkeeper Andrew Epstein was able to get the save.
 
The Dons nearly went ahead midway through the half when in the 25th minute Miguel Aguilar picked up a loose ball in the box and fired off his left foot but it went just wide of the goal.
 
San Francisco was missing two of their top three point leaders (Danny Kirkland and Davi Ramos) on Friday but remained competitive when both teams were at full strength.
 
"We're not even 100 percent and we're competing," Soto said. "It shows a lot about our team and where we're at."
 
Stanford battled back in the 29th minute when a cross was sent in meant for Zach Batteer and Chase Hauser met the Stanford striker at the peak of their leaps and caught the ball to give USF possession.
 
But Stanford finally struck after Batteer intercepted a pass deep in the San Francisco half, found an opening and raced to the goal and met a diving Hauser, who knocked it away but the rebound went right back to Batteer and his second shot was blocked at the goal by the hands of a diving Joshua Smith, which gave the Dons defender a red card and the Cardinal a penalty kick.
 
Brandon Vincent, Stanford's leading scorer, lined up for the kick and found the back of the net and put Stanford up 1-0.
 
"I felt we started well," Soto said. "It's the fourth time this year we've given up a goal on our own set piece in our defensive third. You do that against a team like Stanford and they'll make you pay and they did.
 
"That changed the whole game."
 
Being a man down for the remainder of the match, the Dons needed to strike early in the second half to get back into the game and nearly did in the 52nd minute when Aguilar stole a pass deep in Stanford territory and broke towards the center of the box and sliced his attempt to the goal but it was swatted away by a diving Epstein. The rebound went to the left wing where Jesus Del Toro picked it up and fired but, again, was thwarted by the Stanford goalkeeper.
 
"It really hurt not to have [Kirkland] who's a guy who likes to come deep and find the ball and release pressure and have the ability to find the ball and make plays once he gets it," Soto said.
 
Stanford put the match away only minutes later when Jimmy Callinan received a cross from the left wing and chipped it in to give the Cardinal a 2-0 lead.
 
San Francisco had 10 shots with five on goal against Stanford.