Nov. 3, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: San Francisco takes on a pair of Bay Area rivals this week beginning Friday, November 6 in the South Bay against longtime nemesis Santa Clara. The match featuring the Dons and Broncos will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel as part of the NSCAA College Soccer Match of the Week with an 8:00 PM kick-off from Buck Shaw Stadium. After squaring off against Santa Clara on Friday, the Dons host surprising Saint Mary's Sunday night at Negoesco Stadium in the 2009 home finale. The Dons seized a 2-0 shutout win against Santa Clara (4-9-4, 2-5-2 WCC) on October 9 and dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to the Gaels (10-3-3, 6-2-1 WCC) in Moraga October 11.

DONS AND BRONCOS - THE SERIES: USF owns a 30-19-8 record in the all-time series, dating back to 1967. Santa Clara has enjoyed the better of the rivalry of late and since 2000, the Broncos have compiled a 10-3-2 record against the Dons. USF carries a modest three-match unbeaten streak against Santa Clara into Friday's match, including two home wins - 2-0 (10/9/09) and 3-1 (10/26/08) - and a scoreless draw in the South Bay last October 24.

COACH VISSER ON YOUTUBE: Coach Visser previews USF's West Coast Conference matches against Bay Area rivals Santa Clara and Saint Mary's on his weekly YouTube interview. Fans can access the interview by scrolling to the bottom of the page and using the embedded player or by accessing the USF Athletics YouTube channel - YouTube.com/USFDonsAthletics

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 ninth week of his senior season with 35 goals, 11 game-winners, 12 assists and 82 points in 72 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) rates second in points with 11 (three goals, five assists). A 2008 All-West Coast Conference Second Team selection, Levi scored the game-winner for the Dons against No. 22 Portland (10/16/09). A two-year starter, sophomore defender Victor Wennberg (Boras) has started all 15 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).

Bryan Burke ON A ROLL: Junior forward Bryan Burke has continued to develop as a dynamic playmaker for USF and leads the team with a career-high seven assists on the season, good for second place among West Coast Conference leaders. The 2009 All-WCC preseason selection turned in his second multi-assist match of the season with a pair against Loyola Marymount (11/1). On the year, Burke shares second place on the team with 11 points (two goals and seven assists).

DONS SOCCER ON THE NET THIS WEEK: USF's West Coast Conference matches at Santa Clara and against Saint Mary's will feature GameTracker live scoring and streaming audio/video courtesy of Yahoo Broadcast. Both features can be accessed on the USFDons.com main page under the events tab. The Dons are proud to offer streaming audio and video for the seventh consecutive season.

DONS TACKLE THE BRONCOS ON FOX SOCCER CHANNEL: USF makes its second nationally televised appearance in three seasons when it squares off against ancient Bay Area rival Santa Clara Friday, November 6 at Buck Shaw Stadium in the NSCAA National Game of the Week. Kick-off against the Broncos will be at 8:00 PM in a live telecast on Fox Soccer Channel. The Dons took on the then fourth-ranked Broncos in 2007 in the South Bay and dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision in a thrilling match.

QUOTING VISSER: "We are very proud to be a part of this national television package. It shows that we have established ourselves among the top programs in the country. Our players have earned this by the success that we have had over the past five seasons. Of course, the USF-Santa Clara rivalry has a great history, and we are excited that soccer fans across the country will have a chance to see it live."

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 was 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 85-73-12. 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 ong 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 2009 campaign with a dramatic 2-1 double-overtime victory against San Jose State (9/25)After a overtime loss at Loyola Marymount (10/2) the Dons fell to 1-2-1 in extra time this season. San Francisco posted a 1-4-2 slate in "bonus soccer" matches last season. In 2007, the Dons played three extra session 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 9-8-10 slate during "bonus soccer" matches.

WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: San Francisco has been tough in matches decided by one goal the last four-plus seasons and 2009 is proving no exception. The Dons own a 3-5 record in matches with a one-goal margin. USF played a whopping 12 contests decided by a one goal margin in 2008 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 39-34 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 23-20-2 record in true away matches, while posting a 16-13-2 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.

NEGOESCO TO BE INDUCTED INTO BASHOF: After winning championships at nearly every level possible, USF soccer legend Steve Negoesco will be inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame along with four other sports icons Monday, March 22, 2010 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The NSCAA Hall of Fame coach spent 38 years as the head coach at the University of San Francisco, directing the Dons to a then NCAA record 540 career wins and five NCAA Championships. Negoesco will be enshrined with Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano, baseball great Bert Campaneris and ex-49er receiver R.C. Owens. Negoesco is the first inducted for the sport of soccer.

VISSER MOVES PAST MENTOR STEVE NEGOESCO: With a 2-0 West Coast Conference shutout of ancient Bay Area rival Santa Clara (10/9/09), USF head coach Erik Visser notched his 39th West Coast Conference win and moved past his mentor, USF Legend of the Hilltop and NSCAA Hall-of-Famer Steve Negoesco, who compiled a 38-31-4 slate in 13 seasons. Entering the sixth week of the 2009 WCC schedule, Visser's league record stands at 41-39-6 in his ninth conference campaign. The WCC adopted a double round robin format prior to the start of 2004. Visser currently ranks sixth all-time in league victories and is fourth among active coaches. Santa Clara's Cameron Rast owns 42 league decisions, while San Diego's Seamus McFadden sits atop the leader board at 87-58-13 in his 22 seasons.

USF SOCCER SECURES PROGRAM VICTORY NO. 750 vs. SANTA CLARA: One of the most storied programs in NCAA Division I history, USF reached another rarefied milestone when it collected program victory No. 750 in a 2-0 shutout triumph against ancient Bay Area rival Santa Clara (10/9/09). Since soccer's "modern era" began on the Hilltop in 1946, the Dons own a 752-286-94 overall record. UCLA (857) is the only Division I program with more all-time victories.

Conor Chinn - WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - AGAIN: Senior All-American Conor Chinn (San Diego) turned in a seven-point weekend, helping the Dons record a split and captured West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season in the process. The reigning WCC Player of the Year, Chinn recorded his second career hat trick against Loyola Marymount in USF's 3-1 triumph on Sunday. Chinn fired a career-high 13 shots Sunday against the Lions with 11 of them on frame. The preseason All-American has recorded seven goals in his last three matches against Loyola Marymount. Both of Chinn's hat tricks came against LMU with the other coming in Los Angeles on November 16 of last year. Chinn added his third assist of the season Friday night against No. 19 San Diego. After the 10-point weekend Chinn has a team-high eight goals on the season, two game-winners and 19 points. For his career, the San Diego native has 35 goals, 11 game-winners, 12 assists and 82 points in 72 career matches. For his exploits, Chinn was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week (ending Nov. 1).

NON-CONFERENCE REVIEW: USF posted a 3-3-1 overall record during the non-conference schedule and after scoring just three goals during the non-conference schedule a year ago en route to a 2-5-1 record, the Dons have rebounded for eight goals in 2009 pre-conference play. San Francisco achieved a ranking as high as No. 16 after posting an impressive 1-0 road triumph at New Mexico (9/5). The Dons capped the pre-conference slate with a 1-1 home deadlock against No. 25 Brown (9/27).