TAMPA, SEPT. 27, 2016 – USF men's soccer proved it can hang tough with one of the best teams in the nation Tuesday night.
USF (4-4-2) kept things scoreless more than 90 minutes of a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 5 Clemson at Corbett Stadium. Austen Burnikel's goal in the 93rd minute snapped the Bulls' four-match winning streak.
USF outshot Clemson, 7-1, in the first half and nearly jumped ahead in the fourth minute, when Nazeem Bartman's shot zoomed just a couple feet wide left of the net. Lindo Mfeka had another good look in the 15th minute, but his shot also went wide of the net.
The Bulls' defense turned in one of its best performances of the season despite being shorthanded once again. Keeper Spasoje Stefanovic sat out for the second straight game with an injury. In his place, Christian Knight made a save and directed the defense well in his fourth match of the season.
Quotables:
Head coach George Kiefer on the team's performance:
“It's a great game for us to learn from. If you feel like you can play or beat a team like Clemson, then you can beat anybody in the country. I walked away pretty pleased with a lot of things.”
Head coach George Kiefer on the team's defensive effort against Clemson:
“They're a potent team. They put a lot of goals on a lot of teams, so I thought the back four were good. I thought the management of the guys in front of them was good.”
Head coach George Kiefer on getting prepared for the conference opener:
“It was a good college soccer match. Now I like the fact that we get an extra day of rest and we'll prepare for Cincinnati.”
Key Stats:
USF kept things scoreless in the first half while outshooting Clemson, 7-1. The Tigers outshot USF, 7-1, in the second half and, 2-0, in overtime.
Notables:
- USF's four-match winning streak came to an end. The Bulls hadn't lost since a 2-0 decision against Jacksonville on Sept. 8.
- USF has played two ranked teams this month after facing No. 7 Virginia Tech on the road on Sept. 2.
Up Next:
USF eyes a 2-0 start to league play 3 p.m. Saturday at Cincinnati. Watch the conference clash live online on Bearcats TV.
USF returns to Corbett Stadium to host Tulsa on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets at USFBullstix.com.
The Bulls ended the 2015 campaign in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and an 11-6-3 overall record (5-1-2 The American). 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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