LUKAS BLANKENSTEIN / CONTRIBUTOR

On Nov.  24, 2024  USD  senior  defender  Jack Sandmeyer became the hero of USD’s soccer season. In the 82nd minute of USD’s second round game in the NCAA tournament against Duke University, Sandmeyer headed in a corner kick from USD junior midfielder Josh Martinez for his second goal of the season. This goal gave the Toreros a 1-0 lead with only eight minutes left, which they held until the end of the game. This allowed  them to advance to the third round of the NCAA for the third time in school history. Sandmeyer recounted his memory of the goal.

“The only thing I could remember was being swarmed by my teammates after,” Sandmeyer said. “It was honestly one of the best feelings I’ve ever had, and one that I’ll never forget.”

For  Sandmeyer,  it  was a long-fought  battle to get to this point. Sandmeyer, a former California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section player of the season for St. Augustine High School, initially enrolled in University of California, Davis (UCD) in 2021. Sandmeyer redshirted his freshman season before deciding to leave UC Davis due to what he described in a San Diego Union-Tribune (UT) interview as an opinion conflict with the coach. It was at that point that Sandmeyer decided  to  enroll  in USD strictly as a student, where  he decided to try out for the USD club soccer team — not the official USD team. He failed to make  the team, and according to Sandmeyer,  he thought  that he was done with  soccer  forever.

“It was a bit frustrating because at this point in my life, all I wanted to do was just play the sport,” Sandmeyer stated. “I honestly felt like that was a sign to give up on soccer and stick to academics.”

In   between  leaving UCD and  starting  at USD,  Sandmeyer decided to play  soccer for the San Diego  Internacional, a low-level league club. There, Sandmeyer received a stroke of luck. Internacional’s coach, Keither Miller, thought  Sandmeyer had talent. 

Miller decided to call USD  coach  Brian  Quinn, asking Quinn to let Sandmeyer try out for the  team. In an  interview with  the UT, Quinn claimed that he initially expressed skepticism about Miller’s request to give Sandmeyer a tryout. 

“He said, ‘Oh,  you have to take  a  look    at   Jack   Sandmeyer,” Quinn said to the UT. “I was thinking, ‘Not another walk-on.’ I mean, you get [suggestions for]  walk-ons all the time ,and they never pan out.”

However, Sandmeyer proved him wrong,  making the team this season and becoming a key part in one of the nations best defenses. Sandmeyer has started 19 of USD’s 20 games, only missing one game against the University  of  San  Francisco due to being suspended for accumulating too many yellow cards in the season. Sandmeyer has also played the third most minutes for USD. With  Sandmeyer as one of the backbones of the defense, USD  has one of the NCAA’s best defenses, finishing the season as the fourth best defense by goals against average (.700). 

This defensive prowess is part of what allowed USD to climb to third in the national ranking and helped them secure their third consecutive West Coast Conference championship, securing the Toreros a spot in the NCAA tournament. For his efforts, Sandmeyer was rewarded by receiving All-WCC Second team honors.

Unfortunately for USD, a late loss in the season to Portland dropped them in the ranking and prevented them from getting a first round bye. This would provide Sandmeyer with an opportunity, however, as USD’s first round match in the NCAA tournament was against his old team, friends and coach in UC Davis. Sandmeyer spoke on  the  mindset  he  had  entering the game against the Aggies.

Jack Sandmeyer pictured passing the ball during a home game against the University of Washington. Photo courtesy of @jacksandmeyer/Instagram

“Even though my mindset at the time was that it was just another game, I knew that it would have a greater significance for me,” Sandmeyer  stated. “Three of my old roommates were starters on the Davis team, and I knew it would be a chippy game from start to finish. Looking back on the season, I would definitely say it was a major highlight being able to knock them out of the tournament.”

Sandmeyer and the defense did their job, shutting the Aggies out to allow USD to snag a 1-0 win after a goal of the year candidate from junior midfielder Cesar Bahena, taking advantage of a miscue from the Davis defender to shoot the ball  into the upper left of the scrambling keeper from  40  yards  out. The  Toreros then went on the road to face Duke. 

In addition to Sandmeyer’s heroic late goal, he was also crucial in shutting down the number one   offense in the nation by goals scored average (3.00), becoming  only  the  third team  to  shut  out  the Blue Devils. 

The party would unfortunately end in the third round, as USD lost to Vermont 0-1 after conceding a penalty in the first  30  seconds  of  overtime. As a senior,  Sandmeyer is hoping that this isn’t the end of his time on the  USD soccer team.

“With one additional year to play, I’m definitely looking toward hopefully playing with the team for another season,” Sandmeyer stated. “I am currently in the process of applying to the law school here at  USD, and  with  an acceptance I  would be extremely happy to have one more year with the guys who have helped create such a memorable season for me and the entirety of the USD community.”

Whether or not Sandmeyer will be able to return next season, he will have left USD soccer fans with an incredible moment  and  legacy  for  the team.  For  someone  who thought  not too long ago  he was completely   done   with  the  sport, it  only makes the memories he’s made even more special.

Jack Sandmeyer No. 26 takes the field this season. Photo courtesy of @jacksandmeyer/Instagram