THIS WEEK:
Match #1
San Francisco at Omaha
Friday, Aug. 26, 4 p.m. (PDT) | Caniglia Field
Audio/Video: www.OMavs.com
Live Stats | Video | Audio
Match #2
San Francisco at #7 Creighton
Monday, Aug. 29, 5 p.m. (PDT) | Morrison Stadium
Audio/Video: www.gocreighton.com
Live Stats | Video
Watch the Video |
Complete Game Notes [PDF]
The 2016 season kicks off this week as the USF men's soccer team travels to the Midwest for matchups at Nebraska Omaha on Friday and Creighton on Monday. The Dons waste no time in jumping into a challenging schedule – which features four opponents who finished in the RPI top-50 in 2015 - by facing two of the premier teams in the Summit League and Big East, respectively.
Head coach
Eddie Soto will enjoy the benefit of having virtually his entire roster return after losing just two seniors.
"Going into my third year we're going to have a mature group," said Soto, whose team was picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference preseason poll (tied with San Diego). "My first two years we were playing a lot of underclassmen who were getting a lot of experience, but this year the motivation has to come from them."
Leading the charge will be preseason all-conference honorees
David Garrett and
Davi Ramos, two seniors who have been on the doorstep of WCC titles each of the past two seasons.
Garrett, a first team All-WCC pick last season, is the Dons' leading returning goal scorer (7), while Ramos – a second teamer in 2015 – was third on the team in points (8).
The Dons will get tested right out of the gate when they face Omaha on Friday at 4 p.m. Pacific in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Mavericks were picked to finish second in the Summit League this year.
Meanwhile, preseason No. 7 Creighton will be waiting in the wings on Monday with kickoff slated for 5 p.m. Pacific. The Blue Jays advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2015 and are again picked as the Big East favorite this year. USF hasn't faced Creighton since 1997.
USF will enjoy their first game action at Negoesco Stadium with their home opener against UC Davis on Sept. 4.
