NCAA SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Dons Provide Latest Uphill Battle for Titans

SAN FRANCISCO —  The Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer team, mastering its underdog role more and more each week, tackles another big task tonight when the Titans make their first appearance in an NCAA Division I quarterfinal game.

The Titans face a team that has played in six NCAA championship games, and is coached by a man for whom the university’s soccer stadium is named.

The Titans, at the University of San Francisco at 7:30 this evening in Negoesco Stadium, are making only their third NCAA tournament appearance at the Division I level.

“Two things have to happen,” Titan Coach Al Mistri said. “First, we have to contain (Cato) Solberg and (Staale) Soebye the whole game.

“Secondly, we have to make sure the first half ends, 0-0, at the worst. We have to establish the fact that they can’t score so we don’t have to play catch-up. Then we can start taking more chances.”

Although San Francisco hasn’t advanced to the quarterfinals since 1983, the Dons (13-3-4), coached by Steve Negoesco, have lost only once in their last 15 games. Plus, they have never lost to Fullerton. San Francisco is 10-0-1 against Fullerton, most recently knocking off the Titans in a tournament in San Jose in 1991, 2-1.

Fullerton, though, has made a habit of overcoming long odds in the NCAA tournament this fall. The Titans won their first-round game at Fresno State, which they had never defeated on the road during Mistri’s 12-year stint as head coach, and they won at the University of San Diego last weekend for the first time since 1982.

Having accomplished that, this group already has exceeded Mistri’s expectations. The Titans flew to San Francisco on Friday and practiced Friday afternoon before being turned loose.

“I promised the guys I would take them out into San Francisco on Friday night to wherever they wanted to go,” Mistri said.

So far this season, they have done well when given those instructions.