TAMPA, NOV. 22, 2015 – The USF men's soccer team dropped a heartbreaker in the second round of the NCAA tournament, falling 2-1 in overtime to Boston College.
“They gave it everything they had, for the school, for the team, for each other,” head coach George Kiefer said. “They showed a lot of character and I was really pleased with their efforts.”
The Bulls finished the season with an 11-6-3 record and an appearance in their 19th NCAA tournament.
After falling behind 1-0 in the 73rd minute on an Isaac Normesinu goal, the Bulls found the equalizer late in the half to force overtime.
With just 1:43 left on the clock, Prosper Figbe found the back of the net to tie the game. Kendan Anderson dribbled down the end line before finding Figbe in the box. Figbe then sent a beautiful shot past the Eagles' keeper to keep USF in the game.
“We had to do something to tie the game,” Kiefer said. “Kendan kind of created some magic on his own and got the ball across to tie it.”
In overtime, Boston College would score a golden goal in the 97th minute. Simon Enstrom broke past the USF defensive line and found the back of the net to send the Eagles to the Sweet 16 where they will face third-seeded Georgetown.
Eduardo Maceira almost put USF on the board in the 18th minute. The sophomore took a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but sent it high into the crowd behind the goal. The other shot came in the 32nd minute off the foot of Nazeem Bartman, but his attempt went wide.
Junior goalkeeper Spasoje Stefanovic made three crucial saves in the first half of play to keep the game in a scoreless draw at the half. The Bulls were outshot 6-2 in the first 45 minutes of play.
Lindo Mfeka was issued a red card in the 25th minute, forcing USF to play with just ten men on the field for the remainder of the game.
USF was outshot 17-5 for the game and Stefanovic made six saves, while BC's Alex Kapp made none.
Over the last nine years, the Bulls have made it to the NCAA tournament eight times, including seven straight seasons from 2007-2013. Twice in that span USF advanced to the Elite Eight (2008 & 2011) and appeared in the Sweet 16 three times. This was the ninth time the Bulls have reached double-digit wins under head coach George Kiefer.
The men's soccer program has been one of the most successful on campus over the years, advancing to seven NCAA tournaments in the last eight seasons. The Bulls return 13 letterwinners and five starters from 2014 on top of bringing in the third-ranked signing class according to College Soccer News. They won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship in 2013 and head coach George Kiefer has also led the Bulls to two Elite Eight appearances and four conference/division titles in his 13 seasons as the head man. Follow the men's soccer team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. Purchase tickets HERE.
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