USF Athletics

USF Ties Regular-Season Home Finale

October 29, 2017

TAMPA, OCT. 29, 2017 – The University of South Florida men's soccer team held the top scoring team in the league scoreless Sunday, when it played to a 0-0 draw in its last home match of the regular season. The Bulls' goalkeeper Christian Knight turned in a career performance at Corbett Stadium holding No. 12 SMU scoreless.
 
Knight (Odessa, Fla.) turned in his third shutout of the season thanks to a career-high 15 saves. Knight faced 28 shots in 110 minutes, 15 on goal. USF (6-5-4, 3-1-2 The American) held No. 12 SMU (12-2-1, 4-1-1) scoreless for just the second time this season.
 
The Bulls played a strong second half, outshooting the Mustangs 7-5. Tomasz Skublak led USF with four shots, two on goal while Ricardo Gomez (Gainesville, Ga.) added three shots on goal. 
 

KEY STAT:
15: Knight's 15 saves are the second most saves recorded in a single game in NCAA Division I this season. Mike Novotny (Eastern Illinois) recorded 16 saves against Western Michigan (Sept. 1).
 
QUOTABLES:
Head coach Bob Butehorn on the team's effort:
"I think we were a bit fortunate today. We played a team with a lot of confidence today and they deserved one in the first (half), no doubt. We got a little luck and sometimes you have to create your own luck and we'll take it today. There's some things we need to learn from and work on but you know a lot of teams are in the same spot. When you have a chance at a championship, you try to win it. I'm proud at the effort of this group."
 
Head coach Bob Butehorn on Christian Knight:
"Christian's been very thankful for his opportunity and he did very well today. I'm pleased to have him on my team. Their keeper made some very good saves too but I think he did a really good job of controlling his box and making we sure we stayed as calm as we could be with this wind today. I'm very pleased for him."
 
Christian Knight on his 15-save performance:
"As a goalkeeper, you go into every game not knowing what the outcome could be. You try to prepare yourself to be there for your team if they need you. I'm thankful I was there today and I love those guys. Not every game is perfect but we pull through together, as a team."

NOTABLES: 

• The American Athletic Conference championship will be held on the campus of the top-seed for the tournament. Mathematically, USF cannot host the tournament and have not clinched a spot in the tournament. The Bulls are currently in third place behind SMU (13) and UConn (12). SMU and UConn will play each other, Nov. 4, and the winner will claim the regular season title and host the tournament. A win for the Bulls at Temple on Nov. 4 would push them to the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
• The Bulls complete the regular season with a 5-2-2 home record.
• USF has played in six overtime matches this season and have a record of 1-1-4.

 
UP NEXT:
USF travels to Temple for its final match of the regular season Nov. 4. The match is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on OwlsTV.  
 
On Dec. 18 Bob Butehorn was appointed the head coach the USF men's soccer program. A member of the University of Tampa's 1981 national championship team and a three-time conference coach of the year, Butehorn previously led Florida Gulf Coast University's men's soccer program to six conference regular season championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and Top 25 rankings in five seasons since 2010.
 
The Bulls concluded the season as The American regular season champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulls finished the season with a 10-6-4 overall record and a 6-1-0 mark in the American Athletic Conference.
 
Follow the men's soccer team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
 
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