SAN DIEGO — A strong team goal that was finished by
Samy Kanaan, backed by yet another impressive performance from the Torero defense pushed No. 15 San Diego men's soccer (6-0-2, 0-0-0 WCC) to its third straight shutout, defeating Grand Canyon (3-3-2, 0-0-0 WAC) by a 1-0 margin on Thursday night in a non-conference match up at Torero Stadium.
The Toreros struck for the lone goal of the night in the 54th minute when freshman midfielder Luca Fava connected with fellow freshman Taj Eagleston with a driven pass to the box, who set up Kanaan for an easy finish to give the Toreros a 1-0 lead that they did not relinquish.
USD's current seven game unbeaten streak is the Toreros' longest since they recorded eight straight unbeaten games in a row from September 8 to October 7, 2022.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Thursday night's contest started off messy, as neither team could register a shot on goal through the first 30 minutes of play.
- Grand Canyon recorded the first shot on goal for either side in the 35th minute with a through ball, but Donovan Parisian successfully came off his line in goal to put a stop to the Antelope attack.
- After multiple fouls from both teams, and very little goal scoring chances, the first period of play came to a close with a 0-0 score.
- Fava found himself with the ball on the wing in the 54th minute and drove in a low pass straight to Eagleston's feet who laid it off to Kanaan for an open shot inside the box, which he slotted home to give the Toreros a 1-0 lead early in the second half.
- USD had its next best chance in the 81st minute when Bahena switched the ball all the way to the far post to find a wide open Volodymyr Kubrakov, who laid it off to Iain Wagner for a great look at goal inside the six-yard box that the Antelope goalkeeper collected for a save.
- The Torero back line held firm for the remainder of the game to keep GCU off the board and earn a 1-0 win.
TORERO TIDBITS
- With his 54th minute goal, Kanaan now leads USD with five goals on the season.
- Fava registered his second assist of the season, while Eagleston earned the first assist of his USD career.
- Defender Jack Sandmeyer led USD with a game-high three shots.
- The Torero backline limited the Antelopes to just one shot on goal, meaning USD has allowed just five shots on goal through its last three matches.
- Parisian recorded one save on the night, giving him a total of seven saves through four games played in 2024.
CATCHING UP WITH THE TOREROS
UP NEXT
The Toreros will remain at home on Sunday night to conclude their 2024 non-conference schedule with a match up against Cal State Fullerton. Kick-off against the Titans is set for 5:00 p.m. PST. Live streaming and live video links can be found through the team's website.
