OMAHA, Neb. - The University of San Francisco men's soccer team (0-0-2) starts their first stretch of road games this season as they compete in the Jesuit Invitational against University of Nebraska Omaha (2-0) at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug 29 at Caniglia Field followed by a Sunday matchup on Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. against Creighton (1-0-1) at Morrison Stadium.

Taking place over Labor Day weekend, these two matches for Dons will be part of the Jesuit Invitational, a soccer tournament originally formed in 1997 by former Loyola Chicago head coach Ray O'Connell. Overall, O'Connell believed that student athletes at Jesuit schools should not only strive for athletic success but, more importantly, become men and women in service to other. Spanning Aug. 29-Sept. 1, the invite will feature Creighton, Loyola Chicago, Omaha and San Francisco. Hosted by Creighton, this will mark the first iteration of the tournament since 2005.
 
MATCH 3 DETAILS:
Opponent: University of Nebraska Omaha
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024
Time: 2:00 pm PT
Location: Morrison Stadium / Omaha, Neb.
Watch: Midco Sports Plus
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
MATCH 4 DETAILS:
Opponent: Creighton
Date: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024
Time: 4:00 pm PT
Location: Morrison Stadium / Omaha, Neb.
Watch: FloSports
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• In their first week of the new campaign, San Francisco earned two draws at home on the Hilltop as the Dons tied Cal Poly on Thursday, Aug. 22 before finishing even with UMKC on Saturday, Aug. 25. Securing his first clean sheet of the year against Cal Poly in a scoreless affair, Eric Waltz made four saves on nine shots in USF's home opener.
• Gabriel Bracken Serra, who led the team with 6 goals last fall, was quick to get back to his scoring ways as he notched his first strike of the season against the Roos last Saturday.  
• Starting both matches for the green and gold to begin the year, freshman Brayden Beason notched the first goal of his collegiate career as he found the back of the net against UMKC in the 70^th minute.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS:

• The reigning Summit League Champions have started the season with two wins in their first week of matches as Omaha has recorded five total goals from four different players to start the year.
• Theo Klein has been an offensive threat so far for the Mavericks as he led the team in their 3-2 win against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 25 by scoring two goals and assisting on the game winner.
• Nathanael Sallah, last year's Summit League's Tournament MVP, has been a bright spot for the Mavericks to begin the season as the senior has made ten saves on 26 shots across Omaha's two games.

SCOUTING THE BLUEJAYS:

• In their first matches of the season, Creighton earned a scoreless tie against Florida Atlantic in their season opener on Thursday, Aug. 22 followed by a comeback 5-3 win over Drake on Saturday, Aug. 25.
• Last Saturday, the Bluejays came back in dramatic fashion as Creighton trailed 2-1 at halftime before scoring four goals in the second half to storm back and secure the victory. Notably, Gavrilo Civric netted goals in the 47^th and the 49^th minutes to kickstart the comeback, which also marked the first two goals of his collegiate career.
• Blake Gillingham, a redshirt junior, has started in the cage for Creighton in both games this season. So far, he has faced 17 shots across two games and made three saves in addition to the team's first clean sheet of the year against Florida Atlantic.

SERIES HISTORY:

• San Francisco and Omaha last faced off on Oct. 19, 2021 as the Dons earned a 1-0 victory over the Mavericks on the road. Overall, the two programs have only faced each other two times in their respective histories, both in Omaha. Notably, the Mavericks took the first matchup, 3-1, back on Aug. 28, 2016. 
• Sunday's matchup against Creighton marks the first time in history 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 - Provident Credit Union - for their continued support of San Francisco 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.