SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Wrapping up their streak of consecutive games at home, the University of San Francisco men's soccer program (5-1-2) blanked Sacramento State (3-5-0), 1-0, on Sunday night at Negoesco Stadium.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Scoring on the first shot of the game for either side, Zane Alafranji attacked down the right side of the pitch and into the box before blasting a shot that deflected off a Sacramento State defender and into the back of the net to give the Dons a 1-0 lead just 3:54 into play.
- As the half moved along, the green and gold continued to have their way on offense as San Francisco would outshoot their opponents 14-2 through the first 45 minutes of action.
- Closing out the first opening half, Kaleb Afsari logged his first collegiate shot at 42:36, but was unable to find paydirt. At the halftime break, San Francisco remained on top of the Hornets, 1-0.
- Moving into the second half, the Dons continued to apply pressure offensively out of the halftime break as Max Chretien logged back-to-back shots in the 57th minute, but could not quite find the necessary strike to double up their advantage.
- Just a few minutes later, Rylan Smith and Max Hamelink would each follow with two shot attempts of their own, but none of these attempts could be put home to extend the USF lead. Similarly, Bracken Serra ripped another shot on target in the68th minute, but was ultimately denied by Hornet goalkeeper Mac Learned.
- Down the stretch, Sacramento State saw a few chances at an equalizer, but could not convert to tie things up. Following a shot by Axel Ramirez at 76:29, San Francisco held their visitors off the board offensively as the Dons allowed Sac State to fire off only one other shot over the final 13 minutes and 31 seconds of regulation.
- Defending their home turf, the Dons went on to secure the shutout as the green and gold downed the Hornets, 1-0, for their fifth win at Negoesco Stadium this fall. Notably, the victory also marked the third shutout for San Francisco in just eight matches so far this season.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- As a team, San Francisco outshout Sacramento State 22-7, including a dominant 14-2 mark in the first half. Overall, these 22 shots marked the second most by the team this season (26 shots at San Jose State on Aug. 31). Individually, nine different Dons tallied at least one shot on Sunday, with Constantinos Michaelides and Bracken Serra leading the charge with four attempts each.
- For Alafranji, his goal in the fourth minute marked the first strike of the season for the second year forward. Making strides in his sophomore season, the Sacramento native has started in six of San Francisco's eight matches this fall.
- Defensively, the Dons remain strong as they limited their opponent to under ten shots for the seventh time in eight games this season. Impressively, it was also the fifth time in which San Francisco has limited their opponent to three or less shots on goal.
POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:
UP NEXT:
San Francisco will close out nonconference play this upcoming Saturday, Sept. Sept. 23 as they head to Colorado Springs for a battle at Air Force. Kickoff from is set for 6:00 pm on Saturday. Live streaming and live statistics links will be available via the team's schedule page.
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's soccer program, be sure to follow
@USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter,
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MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today!
Click here to purchase.
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our sponsor – San Francisco Toyota - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact
Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.
