Falcon Men’s Soccer Puts #22 San Francisco to Bed, 2-1

USAF Academy, Colo. - The 23^rd-ranked Falcons notched two straight first-half goals to post a come-from-behind win over No. 22 San Francisco (2-3-1), Friday evening at Cadet Soccer Stadium. The Falcons, now 6-1-0, extend to six-straight wins this season along with its second victory over a Top-25 team in as many tries.

The Dons were the first to strike with a set piece goal from at the 7:29 mark. A crowded box yielded the Air Force goalkeeper little visibility, allowing the ball a chance to narrowly sneak by. It was the first time the Falcons were down on the scoresheet since playing Virginia Tech in the season opener, Aug. 24.

Undeterred by the small deficit, Air Force battled back, peppering the San Francisco frame with shots while controlling possessions for the majority of the first half. In the 10^th minute, senior forward Klint Parker put his hustle defense on display, stealing the ball and taking it in full stride directly at the lone San Francisco keeper. Parker blew by the nearest defenders and got the keeper off the ball for a quick finish to knot the game at one.

The eventual game-winning strike came from a corner kick opportunity at the 23:39 mark as Tucker Bone sent the ball across the box where an athletic 6'2", 185-pound David Louthan outjumped his defender to head the ball off the ground for a high bounce into the top right corner of the frame. The goal marked the first of Louthan's career while Bone was credited with his fourth assist this season. Bone has scored at least a point in the last three matches.

At the half, Air Force dominated the stat sheet, taking four times as many shots as the Dons (12-3), and three corner kicks to San Francisco's one.

The second half may have been scoreless but was not short of excitement. Air Force put the ball in the Don's net two more times before the end of the game, but both goals were called off. San Francisco was a little more active in the second half, taking four shots for a total of seven on the game. The Dons put four shots on frame but they were met by an athletic Falcon keeper in Andrea Seazzu who soared through the air on several occasions to deny the Dons' attack. Seazzu improves to 6-1 in the Falcons' goal this season.

At the final whistle, Air Force dominated the stat sheet. The Falcons took three times as many shots as San Francisco (21-7), putting eight on frame. Danny Han led the squad with five shots while Parker took four. The Falcons' stellar defensive line made up of James Sims, Nick Blessing and Louthan played all 90 minutes of the match, proving to be too big an obstacle for the Dons to overcome.

"I was very happy with the result," said head coach Doug Hill. "It shows a lot of character to come from behind. The team banded together, created a lot of opportunities and showed how dangerous we can be in the final 35. Overall it was a great team win as the defense did their job to corner balls out and we played an attractive style of attacking soccer."

"Although everyone didn't have their best game, it's a good feeling to get it done the way we did," continued Hill. "It's going to be a quick turnaround for Harvard on Sunday and this win certainly helps with the recovery process."

Air Force will complete the final match of a four-game home stretch against Harvard, Sunday at 11 a.m.

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