Box Score SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco women's soccer team sent its seniors out with a bang, defeating visiting Pacific 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Negoesco Stadium.
Sydney Cooper scored the game's lone goal.
USF (4-4-2, 3-4-1 WCC) played an energetic second half and got contributions throughout the lineup but it was Cooper's goal off the feed from fellow senior
Bianca Coad in the 50
th minute that put the Dons out front for good.
Cooper finally got the Dons on the scoreboard when she took a short cross from Coad on the near side of the field and sent it to the inside post for her third goal of the season and seventh of her career. For Coad it is her second career assist and first of the season.
Following the goal by Cooper, it was up to USF's defense to hold onto the lead. The Dons' backline did not disappoint. Senior
Halle Watson had arguably her strongest performance in the back playing a season-high 90 minutes.
Keeper
Molly Eby (4-4-2) notched the second clean sheet of her career finishing with a pair of saves.
Pacific (1-8-3, 1-6-2) was relentless. The Tigers tallied just seven shots on the day with two on goal but did not make it easy on the Dons. All afternoon Pacific's midfield stymied the Dons from making a deep run that allowed USF's attack to find any easy looks.
The Tiger's Laila Saravia and Abigail Wolf put to shots on target that were saved by Eby. The shot by Wolf came in the 85
th minute and needed a tremendous effort by Eby to keep it from tying the game.
The opening half resulted in little offensive action. The Dons had a corner in the 41
st minute that resulted in a pair good looks on net, first a header by
Kaya Pigoni that was blocked by the Tigers' defense. The rebound was corralled by
Halle Watson who fired a shot on goal from outside the 18-yard box but it was also blocked by the opposition.
Prior to the start of the contest, the Dons had a special pregame ceremony honoring the six seniors playing their last game at Negoesco Stadium. Saying farewell was
Cassidy Helenihi, Watson, Coad, Cooper,
Ashley Humphrey, and
Michelle Feinberg.