TAMPA, NOV. 7, 2015 – Junior Melvin Becket's first half goal led the USF men's soccer team to a 1-0 win Saturday in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
The Bulls (11-4-3) advance to face No. 3 seed UConn in the semifinals on Friday at either 4:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. at Corbett Stadium.
Becket's goal, his fifth of the season, came in the 28th minute of play and after consecutive passes from Nazeem Bartman (6) and Lindo Mfeka (4).
“I thought the guys played excellent all night,” said head coach George Kiefer. “Give Memphis credit. They really worked hard to keep us off the board a second time. I thought their keeper made some amazing saves tonight.”
USF dominated the game with a 17-5 shot advantage over Memphis (3-10-4), including an 11-0 edge in the first half. USF goal keeper Spasoje Stefanovic had to make one save all night.
“The forwards were really good at holding the ball,” said Kiefer. “When they do that, it's a dangerous group. This is a fun team to watch and a fun team to work with.”
The Bulls knew they were going to play hosts to the American Athletic Conference Championship all season and Saturday, they earned the right to play in it.
“Whenever you host the tournament there is a monkey on your back,” said Kiefer. “Nobody says it, but it's the unwritten rule. When you host it you need to be in it. So that takes some pressure off of us. Now we have a full week of training where we can get some really good rhythm and rest.”
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.
