University of South Florida
Notre Dame
No. 5 Notre Dame Hands USF First Loss this Season
September 05, 2015 | Men's Soccer
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NOTRE DAME, Ind., SEPT. 4, 2015 – The USF men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the year on Friday night, falling to No. 5 Notre Dame, 2-0, at Alumni Stadium in the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament. The Fighting Irish (2-0-1) scored a goal in each half and used a solid defensive performance to hold the 24th ranked Bulls scoreless for the first time this season. Just like they did in their win over No. 3 Georgetown on Monday, the Bulls (2-1) got off to a quick start, posting five of the game's first six shot attempts. Junior forward Nazeem Bartman nearly put USF on the board in the sixth minute with a shot from the middle of the box that just skimmed the top of the crossbar. Shortly after, Notre Dame's Jon Gallagher made a nice individual play to block a USF clearance attempt and spring himself free in the box. Bulls' goalkeeper Spasoje Stefanovic got a piece of Gallagher's shot, but not enough to keep it out of the net as the Fighting Irish took a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the night in the 10th minute. Bartman had another great chance in the 18th minute but was denied on a great save by Irish goalkeeper Chris Hubbard. The 2014 NSCAA Junior College Player of the Year proved to be a handful for the Notre Dame defense, registering four of USF's seven shots in the first half. Notre Dame's defense buckled down in the second half, however, holding USF to just four shots in the final 45 minutes. The Bulls' best chance came in the 73rd minute when Eduardo Maceira found himself alone with Hubbard on the side of goal, but he was denied to keep USF off the board. A little bit of luck propelled the Fighting Irish to their second goal of the evening as Bulls' freshman defender Prosper Figbe was called for a hand ball in the box after blocking a shot. Brandon Aubrey converted the penalty kick for his first goal of the season to give Notre Dame a two-goal cushion midway through the second half. USF did register seven corner kicks compared to only three for the Irish, but was unable to find the back of the net against a Notre Dame side that has yet to surrender a goal this season. Seven different players recorded a shot for the Bulls, led by Bartman who had five. Stefanovic also had another solid game in goal, making a pair of great saves late in the match to keep the Bulls in it. USF caps off the weekend with its third straight contest against a ranked opponent, taking on No. 18 Indiana 11:30 a.m. Sunday in South Bend. Fans' next chance to catch the Bulls at home is Friday, Sept. 11 against Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE. 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. - #BullsUnite -
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