USF Welcomes FGCU to Corbett Stadium on Tuesday
TAMPA (SEPT. 30, 2019) – USF closes out its short two-match homestand on Tuesday, Oct. 1, when Florida Gulf Coast makes the trip north on Interstate 75 to visit Corbett Stadium for its annual Bulls Kick Pink Game. First touch is slated for 7 p.m. The Bulls look for their third consecutive win after a hard fought 2-1 victory against UConn on Sept. 27. The Bulls, 5-2 on the year, are off to their best seven match start since going 5-1-1 to start the 2008 and 2009 campaigns. During the 2007 season, USF started 6-1.
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USF BULLS (5-2, 1-0 AAC)
Last Game: Sept. 27 vs. UConn, W, 2-1
Next Game: Oct. 5 at Tulsa, 8 p.m. ET
Head Coach: Bob Butehorn
Career Record: 148-115-34 (17th season)
At USF: 18-17-6 (Third season)
FLORIDA GULF COAST EAGLES (3-4-2)
Last Game: Sept. 28 at North Florida, T, 1-1
Next Game: Oct. 8 vs. Lipscomb, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Jesse Cormier
Career Record: 133-104-54 (16th season)
At FGCU: 20-15-7 (Third season)
QUICK HITS
- Friday's match against FGCU is USF's second of two straight that it will play at home ... Following Tuesday's match, the Bulls hit the road to face Tulsa on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. ET ... USF will not return home to Corbett Stadium until Oct. 11 when it takes on SMU at 8 p.m.
- USF's
Bob Butehorn is certainly familiar with FGCU as he started and built the program into a nationally ranked team ... Butehorn was 96-66-26 in 10 seasons in Ft. Myers with the Eagles and guided them to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the second round in 2016.
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Harrison Devenish-Meares has been the mainstay in net for the Bulls playing all 630 minutes and recording 17 saves on 23 shots on goal ... He logged his fifth career shutout - and the second of the season - at North Florida on Sept. 24.
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Emilio Ycaza took over the team lead in scoring with his goal against UConn on Sept. 27 ... He currently sits with six points ... Ycaza's goal was his team-leading third of the season ...
Jonathan Rosales has five points (2g, 1a) along with
Avionne Flanagan (5a) ...
Victor Claudel is fourth in scoring with four points (2g) and
Trey Jackson (1g, 1a) is right behind with three points on the year.
SCOUTING FGCU
- Florida Gulf Coast comes into Tuesday's match with a 3-4 -2 record following its 1-1 tie at North Florida on Sept. 28 ... The Eagles are 0-4-1 in their last five matches after starting the season 3-0-1 with wins over No. 13 Michigan, 4-3, on Aug. 30, and tying No. 7 Michigan State, 1-1, on Sept. 2.
- Ryan Medilah leads the Eagles with seven points (3g, 1a) while Shak Adams is second in scoring with six points (2g, 2a).
- Gustavo Vasconcelos has played all 740 minutes in net for the Eagles this season ... He has recorded 38 saves and has a 1.80 goals against average in nine matches ... He has one shutout with that coming in a 1-0 win over Seton Hall on Sept. 6.
THE SERIES VS. THE EAGLES
- USF and FGCU have met 12 times prior to Tuesday night, with the all-time series all even at 4-4-4 ... The Bulls started the series 3-1, however, are 1-3-4 in their last eight outings against the Eagles.
- Florida Gulf Coast snapped USF's 30-game home unbeaten streak – the nation's longest – handing the Bulls a tough 2-1 loss Sept. 1, 2010, in front of 1,424 fans at the USF Soccer Stadium.
- USF holds a paper thin 19-18 scoring edge against FGCU in the all-time series.
LAST TIME OUT
- USF got goals from
Emilio Ycaza (17') and
Javain Brown (81' game winner) as the Bulls pulled out a hard fought 2-1 win over UConn on Sept. 28 at Corbett Stadium in the American Athletic Conference opener for both schools.
- Despite leading in shots at the end of the first half, things tightened up in the second stanza with USF holding just a 14-13 shot advantage at the end of the night, but a 6-2 edge in shots on goal.
TRIO EARNS AAC WEEKLY HONORS
- USF had a trio of players earn American Athletic Conference (AAC) honors for the week ending Sept. 29 ...
Javain Brown was named Defensive Player of the Week and
Harrison Devenish-Meares was named Goalkeeper of the Week ...
Emilio Ycaza was named to the AAC honor roll ... It is the second time this season that each player earned their respective honor ... The Bulls, 5-2, posted a 2-0 record last week with wins over North Florida (1-0) and against UConn (2-1) in the AAC opener.
BULLS CLOSE PRESEASON WITH 3-0 EXHIBITION RECORD
- USF closed out its 2019 preseason schedule with a 3-0 record, capped off by a 1-0 win over the University of Tampa in the 41st annual Rowdies Cup at Corbett Stadium on Aug. 24 ... Freshman forward
Victor Claudel netted the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 85'.
- The Bulls also defeated Eastern Florida State College (2-0) on Aug. 17 and Eckerd College (1-0) on Aug. 21 in their first two exhibition matches.
BILLHARDT & FLANAGAN EARN PRESEASON AAC HONORS
- USF men's soccer standouts
Avionne Flanagan and
Adrian Billhardt and have been named to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Preseason All-Conference Team.
- Flanagan finished 2018 with Second Team All-AAC honors ... He played in all 17 matches for the Bulls and started in 16 ... He scored two goals on the year off 15 shots ... His goal against Florida Atlantic marked his first game-winner and was a crucial turning point for USF, which posted a 3-1-2 record in its next six matches.
- Billhardt earned preseason all-conference honors after recording four points on four assists in 2018 ... A great technical player, he is creative and extremely dangerous one-on-one with a big left foot ... Billhardt was also recognized during his freshman season, in 2017, when he was named First Team All-AAC and to the All-Rookie Team.
BULLS TABBED FOURTH IN AAC PRESEASON POLL
- USF was voted by the league's head coaches to finish fourth in this year's preseason American Athletic Conference Coaches poll ... The Bulls trail only UCF, SMU and UConn ... Temple, Memphis, Tulsa and Cincinnati round out the bottom four.
UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's match, USF will hit the road to face Tulsa on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. ... The Bulls will not return home until Oct. 11, when they face nationally ranked SMU at 8 p.m.
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USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GO-BULLS.
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