TAMPA, NOV. 5, 2016 – Prior to the start of Saturday's match, eight seniors were honored for their contributions to the University of South Florida men's soccer program. Two American Athletic Conference Championship titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances later, the Bulls completed the regular season with a 1-0 win over Temple at Corbett Stadium.
The seniors shined throughout the match, anchored in net by Spasoje Stefanovic (Belgrade, Seriba). Stefanovic made three saves in 90 minutes, but the Bulls senior duo of Graham Smith (New Hope, Pa.) and Liam McNally (Swansea, Wales) held one of the top offenses in the league to just three shots in the first half.
While the seniors shined on defense, freshman Luis Garza (El Paso, Texas) scored the game winning goal in the 63rd minute. Ricardo Gomez (Gainesville, Ga.) collected the ball on a clear, played a give and go with Nazeem Bartman (Cape Town, South Africa) and crossed the ball in front of the net for Garza to easily tap it in at the back post. It was a picture perfect play, to end the regular season.
QUOTABLES:
Head coach George Kiefer on playing Temple in a must win for the Owls:
“I think Temple is one of the better team's we've played this season. They are very organized. Going into tonight, we knew the longer the game went on, they would have to open themselves up a little bit. I thought in the first half we created some good chances. We've been working on that back post run for about a month now, so for Garza to get there and tap it in was nice, very rewarding. Then the save Stefanovic made, the discipline late in the game, we're very pleased with how we're playing right now.”
Head coach George Kiefer on senior Spasoje Stefanovic:
“He's playing some of the best that I've seen him down the stretch. It's difficult to get one past him. Now that the team is better defensively, we're doing a really good job right now.”
Senior Spasoje Stefanovic on only allowing one goal in conference play:
“It means a lot to me, but I give my teammates a lot of credit. We work the whole season on our defense and as the season progressed, we just got better and better. Now we're seeing the results.”
KEY STAT:
The Bulls outshot Temple 5-3 in the first half.
NOTABLES:
Garza's goal is his third of the season, his first since Sept. 5. The goal is his first career game-winning goal.
11 different Bulls have scored this season, and four different players have scored in the past four matches.
USF's nine shutouts this season ties for first in the American Athletic Conference. Spasoje Stefanovic accounts for eight of the Bulls' shutouts this year.
Stefanovic's scoreless streak has now reached 293 consecutive minutes.
Up Next:
USF will host the American Athletic Conference tournament as the No. 1 seed Nov. 11 and 13. The Bulls will play in the prime time match at 7 p.m. Friday against the fourth-seeded UCF. The first match will feature No. 2 Tulsa and No. 3 UConn, a rematch of last season's Championship game, at 4:30 p.m. The semifinals will air on the American Digital Network. For more information, please visit the American Athletic Conference Tournament Central Here.
The Bulls have reached the NCAA Tournament in nine of the last 11 years, including an 11-6-3 record and a second round NCAA appearance last season. Head coach George Kiefer was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) East Region Coach of the Year. Kiefer led USF to its eighth NCAA tournament appearance in the past nine years and earned the No. 2 ranking in the NSCAA East Region. The Bulls posted double-digit wins for the ninth time under Kiefer in 14 seasons and went undefeated at home during the regular season.
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