TAMPA (Sept. 29, 2021) – The University of South Florida men's soccer team was looking for that signature win, and figured that the first edition of this season's War on I-4 against Central Florida would be the perfect time to get it. Unfortunately for the Bulls, the Knights had other plans and squeaked by the Green and Gold, 3-2, in front of 1,487 at Corbett Stadium. South Florida falls to 2-5-1 and 0-3 in The American while Central Florida improves to 5-3 overall and 3-0 in league play.
 
The contest was the eighth straight match between the two sides that ended in a one-goal differential.
 
The Knights took a 1-0 lead into the locker room at the break after a goal by Ariel Hadar in the 40' minute of play. The real match, however, started in the second 45 minutes.
 
After just one goal in the first half, Hadar put the Knights up 2-0, with his second score of the night in the 48'. Central Florida then gave that goal back just 72 seconds later when Oscar Resano netted his second goal of the season, in the 49' of play, off a pass from Donovan Hesselmeyer to cut the Knights' lead to one.
 
Lucca Dourado then closed out the frantic four-minute stretch with a goal in the 52' minute, a marker that eventually proved to be the game-winner.
 
Victor Claudel found the back of the net for the first time this season in the 85' minute, giving the Bulls some hope in the final moments, off a spectacular pass from Shion Soga on a corner kick, but that proved to be too little too late.
  
Central Florida held the advantage in shots on the night, 15-10, however, the Bulls had the edge in the second half, 9-8.
 
Ralph Montero finished the night with two saves in net for South Florida.
 
Scoring Summary
UCF – Ariel Hadar (Kevin Andrews; 39:41)
UCF – Ariel Hadler (Lucca Dourado; 47:40)
USF – Oscar Resano (Donovan Hesselmeyer; 48:52)
UCF – Lucca Dour (Yanis Leerman; 51:32)
USF – Victor Claudel (Shion Soga; 85:10)
 
                               1              2              F
USF                        0              2              2                        
Central Florida      1              2              3
 
Shots: USF 10, UCF 15
Shots on Goal: USF 4, UCF 5
Saves: USF 2, UCF 2
Corner Kicks: USF 4, UCF 9
Fouls: USF 14, UCF 6
 
Notable

• Tonight's crowd of 1,487 is the largest crowd for a men's soccer match at Corbett Stadium since Oct. 26, 2019, against Central Florida in the War on I-4, when 1,506 filed into Corbett.
• Ben Kaplan saw his first action of the season for the Bulls.
• Victor Claudel's goal was his first since Feb. 6, 2021, against Temple.

 
Up Next
The Bulls will now head back on the road for the first of two straight matches, beginning on Sunday when they travel to America's Heartland to face No. 7/4 Tulsa at 8 p.m. ET. South Florida will then face Temple, in Philadelphia, on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., before returning to Corbett Stadium on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. against Memphis on Breast Cancer Awareness Night.