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 |
| Top Performers |
| Player |
|
|
|
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| DePaul - Alex Mangan |
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
| USF - Shawn Chin |
1
|
0
|
1
|
1
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TAMPA - University of South Florida head men's soccer coach George Kiefer picked up his 100th career coaching win today with a hard fought 1-0 win at DePaul Wednesday afternoon. In getting the win, USF also extended its unbeaten streak to five games.
"This was a very good win for our guys today," said Kiefer. "I thought we played some very good soccer in a facility and on a field that is extremely difficult to play good soccer on. I was real pleased with the team and especially pleased with the contributions that we had from our bench today. It really helped us get this win."
Kiefer also had a moment to reflect on his milestone win.
"To get my 100th career win at DePaul was special," said Kiefer. "I am very pleased to have gotten that and reach that milestone, but now we can move on and move forward with the rest of our season as we hit the stretch run."
After a first half where the Bulls got off three shots and held the Blue Demons to none, USF would come out in the second half and would get three quick attempts in the first seven minutes of the final stanza, two coming from Andre Mittoo that each went high, and one from Hasani Sinclair that would be stopped by DePaul goalkeeper John Kulnig in the 53rd minute.
The Blue Demons would get its first shot of the game in the 66th minute when Andre Gutierrez put his attempt wide of the net.
The Bulls would get the opportunity that they were looking for when Shane Wixted was taken down in the 18-yard box and USF was awarded a penalty kick in the 77th minute. Kevin Olali would step up and look to keep the Bulls perfect in PK's this year - with the team having made all four attempts this season coming into the game - however his shot was stopped by Kulnig.
A defensive struggle that only saw a total of nine shots between the two teams over the first 77 minutes of the game; USF would get another chance at a penalty kick when Bernardo Anor was taken down in the box by Kulnig. Shawn Chin would get his shot and converted in the 78th minute to ice the victory for the Bulls (7-2-3, 2-1-1 BIG EAST).
The Blue Demons (3-7-3, 0-3-1 BIG EAST) would get off three of their seven shots in the contest in the final three minutes and 30 seconds, including a header by Alex Mangan that went high with 45 seconds left in the game, however USF's stifling defense would hold for the win.
"In the first half we were close to breaking through on them and we just needed to keep playing our game," said Kiefer. "In the second half, clearly, Shane (Wixted) was taken down in the box and it was a sure penalty kick. Right after that we broke out on them quickly and Bernardo (Anor) took the second pass and was in on the keeper all alone and he (Kulnig) kind of just tackled him. I didn't think that the referee had any choice but to give us a penalty kick on both plays."
On the afternoon the Bulls would outshoot DePaul 10-7.
USF's All-America goalkeeper Jeff Attinella recorded two saves in the victory for his ninth shutout of the season - and his fifth straight - and the 27th of his career. Attinella has not been scored on since Sept. 24 against Connecticut, a stretch of 500 minutes and 25 seconds
The Bulls return home on Saturday, Oct. 16 when they face West Virginia at the USF Soccer Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
