USF Men’s Soccer Places 18 on AAC All-Academic Team
TAMPA (July 30, 2020) – The University of South Florida men's soccer team placed 18 student-athletes on the 2019-20 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, the league announced on Thursday. The 18 players recognized are the program's most honored in an academic year since joining The American in 2013.
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Felipe Baptista (Pembroke Pines, Fla.),
Adrian Billhardt (Berlin, Germany),
Cooper Blay (Gainesville, Fla.),
Javain Brown (Kingston, Jamaica),
Santiago Burgos (Miami, Fla.),
Victor Claudel (Strasbourg, France),
Harrison Devenish-Meares (Sydney, Australia),
Avionne Flanagan (Baltimore, Md.),
Henrique Gallina (Atibaia, Brazil),
Trey Jackson (Ocala, Fla.),
Richard Laval (Madrid, Spain),
Vinicius Loureiro (Fortaleza, Brazil),
Salvatore Mazzaferro (Toronto, Canada),
Gordon Phipps (Weston, Fla.),
Sergio Pineros-Mayorga (Tampa, Fla.),
Jonathan Rosales (Kissimmee, Fla.),
Stephen Rudderham (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and
Berk Watson (Roswell, Ga.), helped make up a department record 237 student-athletes named to the All-Academic Team.
The 237 Bulls honored across AAC-sponsored sports helped USF shatter its previous record since entering The American, which stood at 214 student-athletes honored in 2015-16. This marks the third straight academic year the Bulls have had more than 200 honorees and the fourth time USF has accomplished the feat since 2015-16.
At the end of 2019-20, the Bulls posted a record-setting 3.50 grade-point average for the spring semester and finished the academic year with a 3.26 cumulative GPA, also a team record. In addition, 19 men's soccer student-athletes were named to the USF Athletics Honor Roll.
During the 2019 campaign, USF men's soccer posted an 11-7-1 record that included a win over No. 5 Louisville and made its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance.
About USF Men's Soccer
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USF Men's Soccer competed in the school's first ever intercollegiate athletic contest on Sept. 25, 1965, beating Florida Southern 4-3. Since then, the oldest program on campus has built a winning tradition, claiming 14 conference championships and making 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 3 trips to the elite eight.
The program also has a strong reputation within the professional game and boasts 27 MLS draft picks. Notable alumni include two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, USA 1994 World Cup star Roy Wegerle, and 2013 MLS Cup winner Dom Dwyer.
The Bulls have advanced to the postseason in 18 of the past 19 years, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances during that period.
USF Soccer concluded the 2019 season with an 11-7-1 overall record, earning an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. Four players earned AAC honors, highlighted by first team selections Avionne Flanagan and Javain Brown. Adrian Billhardt was tabbed a second team selection. In addition, Brown and Salvatore Mazzaferro were named to The AAC All-Rookie Team. Head coach Bob Butehorn returns to lead USF in his fourth season on the sidelines.
– #GoBulls –
