September 23, 2009

USF Men's Soccer Hosts San Jose State and Brown This Week at Negoesco Stadium

Sept. 23, 2009

UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: After a tough weekend in the Bay Area Soccer Classic, USF hosts longtime Bay Area rival San Jose State Friday, September 25 and closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule Sunday afternoon against Brown. The Dons look to avenge a 1-0 double overtime loss to the Spartans (2-5-0) last season and then wrestle the Bears (4-0-1) who enter the week unbeaten in 2009. USF's offense looks for a chance to redeem itself after failing to score in its last two matches against No. 7 Cal and Stanford.

QUOTING VISSER: "We have two very good teams coming this week. San Jose State is a longtime Bay Area rival and always provide a challenge, while Brown is off to a very good start this season. I anticipate two quality matches this weekend and both should prepare us for the demanding West Coast Conference schedule."

CHINN NAMED TO PRESEASON HERMANN AWARD WATCH LIST: After turning in one of the most prolific offensive seasons in USF history, senior striker Conor Chinn was named to the 2009 Hermann Trophy Watch List presented annually to the top player in collegiate soccer. The reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Year and 2009 preseason All-American enjoyed a record-setting 2008 campaign, scoring 17 goals, including six game-winners, propelling the Dons to the 2008 WCC Championship. A 2008 All-Far West Region selection, Chinn ranked No. 8 among national Division I leaders in goals per game (0.81) and was No.17 in points (1.67). His 17 tallies were the most by a USF player since Tor Sveen recorded 17 in 1982 and tied for second on the single season list with Sveen, Dag Olavsen (1978) and Alex Nwosu (1977). Chinn enters the fourth week of his senior season with 29 goals, 10 game-winners, 10 assists and 68 points in 61 career matches.

HOW SWEDE IT IS: Three Swedish players are making a big impact for USF this season on the Dons' "United Nations" roster. Senior midfielder Jonathan Levi (Varberg) shares the team points lead with six (two goals, two assists). A 2008 All-West Coast Conference Second Team selection, Levi has started every match in his USF career and serves as a team co-captain. A two-year starter, sophomore defender Victor Wennberg (Boras) has started all five matches for the Dons in 2009. Freshman forward Oscar Englund (Enskede) provided the game-winner for San Francisco in the season-opening 4-1 triumph against UMKC (9/1/09).

DONS SEEK END TO SCORING DROUGHT: After suffering back-to-back shutouts, USF looks to return to the offensive. Last season San Francisco did not score in its first four matches before catching fire offensively. With six goals with a pair of non-conference matches left to play, the Dons have already scored three more goals than they did in six pre-conference matches in 2008.

VISSER CAPTURES THIRD WCC COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR: After guiding a team picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference to the championship, USF head coach Erik Visser was voted 2008 WCC Coach of the Year by his peers for the third time in five seasons. The 2004 NSCAA Far West Coach of the Year, Visser guided the Dons to their fourth NCAA Tournament in the last five years (2004-06, 2008), Since 2004, Visser has coached three WCC Player of the Years, one WCC Defender of the Year and 10 All-WCC First Team performers, while directing the Dons to a 55-42-9 overall record.

USF HEAD COACH Erik Visser: USF head coach Erik Visser took a young, inexperienced team featuring just five seniors and 11 upperclassmen to the 2008 West Coast Conference Championship. The conference crown is the third for the Dons in the last five seasons under Visser and the NCAA Tournament berth is the fourth for the Green and Gold in five campaigns. After guiding San Francisco to consecutive West Coast Conference titles (2004-05), Visser and the Dons secured a runner-up finish in 2006 with a 12-7-1 overall record, while playing a schedule rated in the top-10 nationally. From 2004-06, USF recorded a 37-17-6 record and recorded the most league victories (22) during the span.

VISSER'S CHAMPIONSHIP CREDENTIALS: A three-time WCC Coach of the Year (2004-05, 2008), Visser owns deep ties to the soccer program at the University of San Francisco. A defender on two USF NCAA Championship teams (1978, 1980), Visser spent 19 seasons as an assistant coach under soccer legend Steve Negoesco before taking the reigns as head coach for the 2001 campaign. Along the way, Visser also started the women's soccer program on the Hilltop in 1985 and served as head coach for six years. Visser is active in the USA National Team program and served as the top assistant for the U-20 team that finished 13th in the 2001 Youth World Cup in Argentina. Visser recorded his 50th career victory at Portland (11/10/05) and owns an overall mark of 81-68-11. Former Dons standout Josh McKay is in his seventh season as top assistant coach and fourth as an associate head coach, while Tyler Gottschalk is in his sixth campaign as an assistant. Chris Carniato enters his third season on the coaching staff.

USF ONCE AGAIN FEATURES THE UNITED NATIONS LINEUP: USF men's soccer boasts a long and distinguished history of drawing outstanding players from throughout the world and the 2009 squad is no exception. This year's squad features players from no fewer than seven countries and four continents. The country roll call features 27 players from the United States, three Dons from Sweden, and one each from Canada, Colombia, Holland, Jamaica and Japan.

PLENTY OF BONUS SOCCER: Sometimes 90 minutes is not enough action for USF soccer. San Francisco finally broke through for its first overtime victory of the 2008 season with a dramatic 1-0 double-overtime victory at Saint Mary's (11/9), improving to 1-2-2 in extra time this season. The Dons posted deadlocks at Santa Clara (10/24) and against UNLV (9/19). USF's extra period losses came in a 1-0 double overtime loss at San Jose State (9/10) and a tough double overtime defeat against Gonzaga (11/2). In 2007, the Dons played three "bonus" soccer contests and went 2-0-1, highlighted by a 2-1 double overtime decision at Stanford (9/16) and a scoreless draw at San Diego (10/21). San Francisco played four matches requiring an additional period in 2006 and posted a 2-1-1 overall record and went 1-1-1 in matches needing both overtime sessions. This was in sharp contrast to the 2005 season when the Dons played a remarkable seven matches that reached double overtime and registered a 2-1-4 overall record, 1-1-3 during West Coast Conference play. Since the start of 2004, USF owns a 8-7-9 slate during "bonus soccer" matches.

WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: San Francisco has been tough in matches decided by one goal the last four seasons and 2008 proved to be no exception. USF played 12 contests decided by a one goal margin during the regular season and posted a 5-7 slate, but won five of its last eight to end the season. The Dons posted a 6-8 record in tight matches in 2007. USF played 13 matches in 2006 decided by one goal, posting an 8-5 record in those contests. The Dons defense allowed a maximum of two goals only five times in 2006. Dating back to October of the 2003 campaign, USF owns a 37-31 ledger in one goal matches, including a 5-4 mark in 2005.

ROAD WARRIORS: San Francisco has proven tough on the road and since the start of the 2005 season owns a 23-19-2 record in true away matches, while posting a 16-12-2 slate in West Coast Conference road tilts since the start of the 2004 campaign. The Dons are 3-2-2 at neutral sites during the same span. USF posted a sparkling 4-1-1 WCC road record in 2008.

FIVE RETURNING DONS EARN ALL-WCC HONORS: USF welcomes back five players who captured All-West Coast Conference honors a year ago, including 2008 WCC Player of the Year Conor Chinn. Senior midfielders Jonathan Levi and Leon Williams and junior forward Bryan Burke earned second team selection. Both Burke and Chinn were named to the 2009 All-WCC Preseason Team as selected by the league's coaches. Sophomore defender Omar Elmasri, collected WCC Honorable Mention selection and all-freshman squad accolades.

DID YOU KNOW? San Francisco dispatched Brown 3-2 in triple overtime of the 1975 NCAA Tournament Semifinals. It was the first of five meetings between the two teams and the only postseason showdown. The Bears took a 3-2 win in 1977 and the Dons seized a 4-1 triumph in 1979. The two teams revived the rivalry in 2002 in a 2-1 victory for USF before Brown bounced back for a 3-0 shutout win in 2004.

DONS SOCCER ON THE NET THIS WEEK: USF's home matches against San Jose State and Brown will feature streaming audio and video courtesy of Yahoo Broadcast to go along with live scoring via GameTracker.

USF SOCCER CLOSING IN ON 750 PROGRAM VICTORIES: USF enters the second week of the 2009 regular season with 748 victories in program history after posting a 9-10-2 mark during the 2009 campaign. Since soccer's "modern era" began on the Hilltop in 1946, the Dons own a 748-283-93 overall record. UCLA (856) is the only Division I program with more all-time victories.

UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: After taking on San Jose State and Brown in the final non-conference matches of the season, USF begins defense of its West Coast Conference title on the road. The Dons take on No. 25 Loyola Marymount Friday, October 2 and then tangle with San Diego on Sunday afternoon.

DONS EARN PRESEASON RANKINGS: After winning the 2008 West Coast Conference Championship and advancing to the program's 31st NCAA Tournament last Fall, USF men's soccer earned its second preseason ranking in the last four seasons, entering the Top Drawer Soccer poll at No. 22 and cracked the College Soccer News poll at No. 30. USF has cracked the top-25 in three of the last four regular seasons, reaching No. 8 in September of 2006.