The Jack Sandmeyer fairy tale continues.

The guy who wasn’t good enough for the University of San Diego club program not only started and played 90 minutes for USD’s intercollegiate team Sunday in the NCAA Tournament at No. 10-seeded Duke, he scored the game’s lone goal to send the Toreros to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2012 (and only the second time in the last 31 years).

A year ago, Sandmeyer was out of college soccer, having washed out at UC Davis without ever playing for the Aggies and enrolling at USD strictly as a student and then not making the pay-to-play club program. But the Saint Augustine High School alum caught coach Brian Quinn’s eye in a spring tryout, and Sunday he was rising above a Duke defender to head Josh Martinez’s corner kick back across the goal into the upper corner with seven minutes left.

“A Cinderella story,” Quinn said. “He plays with his heart on his sleeve.”

A few hours later, the Toreros (15-2-2) got even better news when Vermont upset No. 7 Hofstra 2-1. That meant, instead of flying back across the country in a few days, USD gets to host the Catamounts (13-2-5) at Torero Stadium on Sunday at 5 p.m.

In some ways, though, you get the feeling the Toreros, who flew home late Sunday night, would be perfectly happy in the role as road warriors. Sunday’s win made them 8-0-0 this season away from Torero Stadium. Five have been 1-0 scores.

That’s the sign of a veteran, gritty team that remains calm in tight games.

“Our players are pretty mature,” Quinn said. “This is the third year we’ve had guys who have played in the NCAA Tournament. The leadership is good. They set the tone. In college sports, that’s such an intangible that people don’t always recognize. That’s the sign of a good team.”

Both sides had spells where they controlled the game, but the Toreros wee able to capitalize on theirs.

Cesar Bahena, who scored the lone goal in Thursday’s 1-0 win against UC Davis (on a 40-yard chip over the goalkeeper), won a corner kick by pressuring a Duke defender and craftily knocking the ball off him. Martinez curled the corner into the box and connected, finally, with the 6-foot-4 Sandmeyer.

“We’ve talked all year about trying to isolate Jack,” Quinn said, “but the timing was never quite right or the service wasn’t good enough. Today all those things clicked. The service was superb, and Jack got his head on it.”

Quinn had to shuffle his lineup with injuries and illnesses. Starting Spanish midfielder Inigo Villaldea, among the team’s most skillful players, has been out since Nov. 9 with a foot injury. Then leading scorer Sammy Kanaan (nine goals) woke up sick and lasted only 21 minutes.

Quinn looked down the bench and motioned to redshirt freshman striker Jaxson Findlay, who hadn’t played since Oct. 4, a span of seven games. His minutes high this season: 25.

Findlay played 32 against the Blue Devils, generating USD’s three best chances in front of goal.

“He gave us a threat going forward and relieved pressure,” Quinn said. “You tell the kids all the time to be ready when their opportunity comes, but you don’t know if it goes in one ear and out the other. I guess he listened.”

Once the Toreros scored, it was up to Division I’s third-stingiest defense, which has allowed a mere 13 goals in 19 games – and only two in the last seven. Goalkeeper Donovan Parisian, who won the starting job at midseason, had six of his seven saves in the second half as the Toreros recorded their 10th shutout.

It also was their first win against perennially power Duke in five all-time meetings.

And they did it on short rest, playing Thursday night in San Diego and travelling 2,100 miles Friday – farther than anyone else in the round of 32. The Blue Devils (14-4-4) hadn’t played in two weeks.

“It’s very, very rewarding,” Quinn said, “to accomplish that under those conditions.”

Originally Published: November 24, 2024 at 4:59 PM PST