SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco men's soccer team battled hard against No. 13 Saint Mary's.  However, the Dons (2-10-1) were not able to overcome an early goal by the Gaels (12-1-0) who held on to win 1-0 at Negoesco Stadium on Saturday night.  

"It's another game where you feel disappointed because of the result," said head coach Leonard Griffin. "But I'm super proud of our guys fight and their effort. This week, we showed that we can play with two of the best teams in the country. The the future is very bright for this team."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Gaels did not take long to take the lead.  SMC had two corner kicks in the first two minutes, the second resulting in a goal when Jake Rudel wound up with the ball at his feet inside the box and sent it to the top left corner for a goal – his fifth of the season.
 
• Keeper Ruben Stuiver and the USF defense played a tremendous game, holding one of the top offensive teams in the country below their average in goals and shots.  The Gaels finished the night with 14 shots, five on goal. 
 
• The Dons offense was once again kept off the board.  USF was held to four shots with two on goal.  Ashish Chattha led the Dons with two shots, both on target.  Jonah Van Der Werf and Zyan Andrade also tallied a shot.
 
UP NEXT
The Dons will return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 30 when they make the short trip south to take on Santa Clara.  The game is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be streamed live on The WCC Network.