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| Top Performers |
| Player |
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| Florida Atlantic - Rocco Pecora |
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0
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3
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0
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| USF - Leston Paul |
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0
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2
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1
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| Goalkeepers |
| Player |
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| Florida Atlantic - J. McCormick |
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| USF - Jeff Attinella |
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TAMPA - The University of South Florida men's soccer team closed out its 2010 non-conference schedule with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Florida Atlantic University on Wednesday night, however it was a match that could easily have gone the Bulls' way.
All-America goalkeeper Jeff Attinella recorded two saves in the tie and logged his seventh shutout of the season - including his third straight equaling his longest shutout streak of the season - and the 25th of his career. He also extended his streak without being scored on to 300 minutes and 25 seconds dating back to the Connecticut game on Sept. 24.
Leston Paul, Bernardo Anor and Shawn Chin all had two shots on the night with each having one on goal. Ben Sweat and Andre Mittoo also had a shot on goal.
"We started a little slow tonight but I am extremely pleased with the team," said Kiefer. "As the game went on we were a little unfortunate that we had a goal that got called back, and we had one later that I thought could have been a penalty kick but we just weren't awarded it. I also think that we created five or six other chances that on any other night would have gone in. I just feel that we were a little bit unlucky not to get a goal, but I thought that some of the stuff that we did tonight was very good."
Both teams played the first half even with each side getting off four shots in the first 45 minutes of action; however none would find the back of the net.
Javed Mohammed got off the first of the Bulls' four attempts in the first half in the seventh minute of play only to have the opportunity blocked by a FAU defender. Then, just under three minutes later, Hasani Sinclair would put his shot just wide of the net in the 10th minute of the match.
The Bulls would have their best opportunity in the first half to get on the board when Paul would beat a Florida Atlantic defender and get the only shot on goal of the first stanza off, however the attempt was saved by James McCormick in the 13th minute of play.
Paul would have one last opportunity with 42 seconds left before the intermission; however the shot would be blocked.
The second half would prove to be no different than the first 45 minutes. Both teams would have four shots in the stanza; however the Bulls would have the advantage with three coming on goal while the USF defense held Florida Atlantic to just one shot on net.
It would take the Bulls a little bit to get going in the second half as their first shot came in the 62nd minute from Kevil Olali which was blocked.
After Olali's attempt, USF would step up the pressure getting off its three other attempts in an 11 minute stretch. Mittoo would get the first chance in the 68th minute, which was saved by McCormick, and then Chin would put a shot just wide in the 73rd minute of play.
Ben Sweat then forced McCormick to make his third save in regulation with a shot in the 79th minute
The Bulls then held the Owls without a shot for the final 16 minutes of regulation and it seemed to have paid off when Marius Krathe put a shot on net, and beat McCormick, only to have the goal called off because of a USF foul with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
Both teams would then head to overtime.
After Florida Atlantic's Rocco Pecora started off the first extra session with a shot just under two minutes in, USF would once again clamp down defensively and hold its host's without a shot for the final eight minutes of overtime.
USF would get two good opportunities from Anor, the first coming in the 95th minute on a header that was saved by McCormick, and then just 1:30 later, that would go wide of the goal.
In the second overtime Chin would seemingly have one last chance with less than a minute to play to win the game, however his shot was stopped by McCormick.
However, with less than 10 seconds left in the contest, Mittoo beat a Florida Atlantic defender and attempted to go one-on-one with McCormick before being taken down in the 18-yard box as time ran out.
Next, the Bulls travel to the "City of Brotherly Love," Philadelphia, where it will take on Villanova on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at PPL Park - home of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. That match will be broadcast live in the internet at TopDrawerSoccer.com. USF closes out its three-match road stretch at DePaul on Oct. 13 before returning home to face West Virginia on Oct. 16 at the USF Soccer Stadium.
