1973 West Coast Intercollegiate Soccer Conference Champions
Head Coach: Steve Negoesco
Overall Record: 15-1-1 WCISC Record: 7-0-0
All-WCISC Team: Lorenzo Cumplido, John Micklewright, Archie Robustoff
Most Goals: Archie Robustoff
USF Hall-of-Famers: John Anton, Lorenzo Cumplido, John Micklewright, Mal Roche, Steve Negoesco
The 1973 Dons opened the season with five straight wins, handling Westmont College, Menlo College, San Francisco State, Chico State, Hayward State and Stanford by a combined score of 26-5. Then came a 3-3 tie againsy highly regarded UCLA.
The Dons roared through the West Coast Intercollegiate Soccer Conference with a pefect slate at 7-0-0. In fact, the only teams in WCISC competition to stay within two goals of USF were San Jose State who fell 4-3 to the Dons, and Santa Clara who kept things close before losing 3-1.
The Dons met the Broncos for a rematch in the first round of the NCAA playoffs and won easily 5-0. This set up a second round playoff game with UCLA. The Dons entered the game at 15-0-1 and looked to gain revenge on the Bruins who had tied USF back in early October. Bu the defensive minded Bruins placed a wall of defenders around the goal and prevailed 1-0 ending the Dons season.
Did You Know? Archie Robustoff was the third and youngest of three Robustoff brothers to play soccer for Steve Negoesco at USF. The oldest brother, Connie played from 1967-69 and was a three time All-Conference player. Aex, the second oldest, played on the Hilltop from 1968-71 and was named honorable mention All-American in both 1969 and 1970. Archie, the youngest, transferred to USF in the fall of 1973 after two years playing at the junior college level. Their father moved the family to Shanghai from Russia to escape communist rule and was one of the finest soccer players in Shanghai, playing on a team that was made up of mostly native Chinese. Eventually as Mao Zedong begin to influence the politics in Shnaghai, the Robustoff's feld and moved to California when the boys were youths.
They Said It: "My father taught me how to play soccer and he wouldn't quit until I put all thoughts of playing American-style football out of my mind," recalled forwad Archie Robustoff. "I wanted to play American football. I'd see those huge stadiums filled with football freaks and then I'd see maybe three dozen people at soccer games and figured my father had something wrong with him."
