SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco men's soccer team begins the 2024 season at home when it hosts Cal Poly at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22 and UMKC at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug 24, at Negoesco Stadium.
 
MATCH 1 DETAILS:
Opponent: Cal Poly
Date: Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm PT
Location: Negoesco Stadium / San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
MATCH 2 DETAILS:
Opponent: UMKC
Date: Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm PST
Location: Negoesco Stadium / San Francisco, Calif.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Following two exhibition matches against high-end opponents in No. 5 Stanford and California, San Francisco kicks off the 2024 season at home, opening a new campaign at Negoesco Stadium for the fourth consecutive season.
• Led by fourth-year head coach Chris Brown, the Dons return 21 players from a season ago who posted an 8-4-5 overall record. The program's eight wins, highlighted by triumphs over nationally ranked Stanford and LMU, marked the most victories in a season since 2018.
• San Francisco returns its top goal scorer from a season ago in Gabriel Bracken Serra, who led the team and ranked tied for seventh in the West Coast Conference with six goals. Bracken Serra, along with Reid Roberts, were named to the 2024 WCC All-Preseason Team following success in 2023.
• A familiar face in goal returns as Eric Waltz is set to begin his senior season. The reigning WCC Goalkeeper of the Year posted a stellar season in 2023, ranking among the league in goals against average (.848), saves (45), saves per game (2.65), and shutouts (six).

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS:

• Cal Poly enters the new campaign after posting a 5-8-4 overall record and finished tied for fifth in the Big West Conference standings.
• Jackson Kestler, the Mustangs' leading goal scorer from a season ago, returns for his senior season after recording four goals and six assists for a team-high 14 points last season.
• In the net, the Mustangs lost goalkeepers Justin Siegel and Gabe Penner, who combined for 16 starts and 41 saves last season. Nicky McCune, the lone goalie who saw action last season, started one game, recording four saves while allowing five goals against Oral Roberts.

SCOUTING THE ROOS:

• Kansas City totaled four wins in 2023, finishing the season with a 4-8-6 overall record. The Roos, struggling in recent history, concluded the season in fourth place out of six teams in the Summit League.
• Despite the losing record, the Roos upset top-seeded Denver in the Summit League Tournament semifinal, winning the contest in penalty kicks to appear in the title game for the second consecutive season.
• Three of the Roos' top goal scorers return for the upcoming season as Julien Le Bourdoulous, Brice Middleton, and Hector Taboada recorded three goals a piece in 2023. Le Bourdoulous led the squad offensively overall, recording 12 points as he accumulated a team-leading six assists last season.

SERIES HISTORY:

• In the last matchup against Cal Poly, San Francisco came out victorious, posting a 6-0 win at Negoesco Stadium during the 2022 season. Since 2013, the Mustangs have posted three wins over the Dons while the programs battled to scoreless tie in 2019.
• Saturday's matchup against UMKC marks the first time the two programs will face off.

FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the San Francisco men's soccer program, be sure to follow @USFDonsMSoccer on Twitter, @USFDonsMenssoccer on Instagram and @USFDonsMSoccer on Facebook.
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 primary sponsor - Coca-Cola - 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.