War on I-4 Starts Saturday With Men's Soccer

War on I-4 Starts Saturday With Men's Soccer

DATE/TIME: Saturday, Sept. 21 / 7:00 p.m.
OPPONENT: UCF (1-3-1, 0-0 The American)
LOCATION: Corbett Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
WATCH: BullsVision | Watch
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PROMOTION: Soccer Scarf Giveaway, First 400 fans receive a free soccer scarf
Taste of Tampa Bay Concessions Menu Option: BBQ Bacon Burger 
Food Truck: Smokin' Bowls

TAMPA, SEPT. 22, 2017 – The University of South Florida men's soccer team hosts UCF Saturday at 7 p.m. The Bulls open American Athletic Conference play at Corbett Stadium. Six points are on the line in the first contest of the War on I-4 rivalry series.
 
The first 400 fans to arrive will receive a free USF Soccer Scarf and the match's Taste of Tampa Bay menu features Smokin' Bowls Food Truck and BBQ Bacon Burgers at the concession stand.
 
USF (3-3) looks to extend its two-match win streak and remain perfect at home. The Bulls will carry momentum from their 5-1 victory over UNF Wednesday. The win marked the first time since Aug. 31, 2007 that the Bulls have scored five goals in a single match. USF defeated UCF, 5-2, in Tampa.
 
Freshman Adrian Billhardt (Berlin, Germany) leads the Bulls offensively with 10 points this season. The forward has tallied three goals and league leading four assists. Senior Bradley Farias (Indiantown, Fla.) follows with nine points (3 goals, 3 assists).
 
Christian Knight (Odessa, Fla.) has nabbed the last two starts for the Bulls in goal and has totaled seven saves.
 
The Opponent
UCF (1-3-1) is coming off a 1-0 road loss to FGCU Tuesday, but has only allowed four goals this season, a conference best. The Knights are led by Matias Pyysalo with three goals this season while Yoni Sorokin follows with one goal and three assists.  
 
Wednesday's match marks the 31st meeting between the Knights and the Bulls. USF owns a 22-5-3 series record, and a 13-3-0 record at Corbett Stadium. The Bulls have not lost to UCF since Oct. 23, 2013 when the Knights escaped with a 1-0 victory in Tampa.
 
Notables
  • The Bulls have never lost their American Athletic Conference opener. Since the league's inaugural season in 2013, USF is 3-0-1 in conference openers.
  • USF has reached 13+ shots in all but two matches this season. At Corbett Stadium, the Bulls average 15.0 shots per game.
  • USF has only conceded one goal at Corbett Stadium this season.
  • Since 2015, the Bulls are 18-3-6 at home.
  • The Bulls have turned in two shutouts this season, both have been at home. (Aug. 28, 3-0 vs. Lipscomb and Sept. 17, 1-0 vs. LMU)
  • USF claimed six points in the War on I-4 last season with a 2-1 victory in Orlando. The pair met again in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament, and USF won 2-1 in double overtime.
  • Sophomore forward Stephen Rudderham landed on the American Athletic Conference weekly honor roll after scoring the Bulls' game-winning goal Sunday, the league announced Monday.
WAR ON I-4 RIVALRY
The War on I-4 represents a long-standing and passionate rivalry between the fan bases of two of the nation's largest and fastest growing universities. The Orlando and Tampa Bay metropolitan areas, which form the fourth-largest media market in the nation, are connected by 100 short miles of Interstate 4 (I-4).
 
The official recognition of the rivalry and the traditional name, first established by the fans, creates an annual series of scored competitions across multiple sports programs. The War On I-4 rivalry series officially began Sept. 21, 2016 with a competition between the two schools' volleyball programs.
 
For more information on the War on I-4 Rivalry, visit https://www.war-on-i4.com.
 
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.
 
– #GoBulls –
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