MATCH 19 | THUR. NOV. 17, 2022 | 7 P.M. | CORBETT STADIUM, TAMPA, FLA.
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USF BULLS | 8-6-4
Last Game: Nov. 13 vs. FIU, L, 2-0
Next Game: Nov. 20 at Kentucky (if nec.)
Head Coach: Bob Butehorn
Career Record: 172-138-41 (20th season)
At USF: 42-40-13 (Sixth season)
 
HOFSTRA PRIDE | 14-3-3
Last Game: Nov. 12 vs. Elon, W, 2-1
Next Game: Nov. 20 at Kentucky (if nec.)
Head Coach: Richard Nuttall
Career Record: 322-250-88 (34th Season)
At Hofstra: Same
 
By Joey Johnston
 
TAMPA (Nov. 16, 2022) – Technically, USF men's soccer senior defender Salvatore Mazzaferro has another season of eligibility due to COVID-19. But he believes it's time to turn professional, so the last month or so has been like a ticking clock.
 
Now he has the perfect ending.
 
With a late-season rush, the Bulls (8-6-4) qualified for the 48-team NCAA Tournament and will face Hofstra University (14-3-3) in Thursday night's first-round match at Corbett Stadium.
 
Mazzaferro also qualified for the NCAA field as a freshman, but the Bulls were beaten at Louisville. Since then, his USF career has been a star-crossed affair with the pandemic, a flood of injuries and this season's slow start.
 
"It has not been easy,'' said Mazzaferro, a native of Toronto. "But at the same time, it's the experience I wish everyone could have because I've gone through so many ups and downs. The ups definitely override the downs. But I think I have seen it all at this point.
 
"To have it come down to an NCAA match at home, it's just an insane feeling. I'm so excited for it. The home fans give us energy and we all can't wait to get out there and play for them.''
 
Maybe USF's program has undergone some uncertainty, but Mazzaferro, a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection, has been nothing but a stabilizing force and a true leader.
 
"I can't say enough about Sal,'' USF coach Bob Butehorn said. "Whatever we have asked of him, he has provided — and more. We rely on him and I feel he has a very bright future in this game.''
 
"Having someone like Sal on the backline since his freshman season, it has been a true weapon for this program,'' USF defender Sergio Pineros-Mayorga said. "You know he's always going to be there for you. With his experience, his physical presence, his ability to attack if necessary, that's a huge factor going into the NCAA Tournament.''
 
If the Bulls prevail, they would face a second-round road match against the Kentucky Wildcats (14-0-5), the tournament's overall No. 1 seed. But that isn't on anyone's mind right now.
 
For Mazzaferro and his teammates, it's all about defeating Hofstra.
 
"We were playing really good soccer in the beginning of the season, but the results weren't going our way,'' Mazzaferro said. "We were creating the chances, but not finishing them. I'd say at the midpoint of our season, we finally started to have some belief in ourselves. We kept that flow going. Before you knew it, we had a five-game winning streak and the whole thing turned around.
 
"I always had faith in this team. We stayed positive. The coaching staff stayed positive. We were bringing it in training every single day. I think the result we got was well-earned. Now it's up to us to make the most of it. One match at a time. I truly think we're capable of doing some real damage here and it means a lot to start this thing at home.''
 
Mazzaferro was a highly sought player from his native Canada. He considered the likes of Georgetown, Syracuse and Notre Dame. In the end, though, he was attracted by USF's style of play, its coaching staff and Tampa's climate.
 
"This program has given me a platform to grow in this game,'' Mazzaferro said. "I think you have to outwork your opponent at the end of the day. That's my main goal … to always have the right winger tired and ready to get off the field in the first half because he just can't deal with it. That's the way I like to play and that's the role I fill here. I want them to know my name.''
 
Salvatore Mazzaferro.
 
Maybe not the name you'd expect from a Toronto kid, right?
 
"My grandfather and grandmother were both from Calabria in Italy,'' Mazzaferro said. "My grandfather came to Brooklyn. My grandmother came to Toronto. My grandfather went to Toronto on business and met her there. I guess the rest is history.''
 
It's a traditional Italian family. There are holiday feasts and pretty ample supplies of food on the other days, too. Mazzaferro's parents speak Italian in the home ("especially when they don't want us to understand something'') and the family ties are everything
 
Mazzaferro is fair-skinned and blond, so he doesn't necessarily look the part. But he's proud of his heritage and he has visited the old country four different times. At this rate, with his soccer prowess, he's bound to see the world.
 
"I will look back at USF and know this is the place where I was really able to advance my game,'' Mazzaferro said. "I'm grateful for the coaches and all my teammates. I will look back at my time here with a lot of happiness.''
 
Particularly the ending.
 
It was practically perfect.
 
A victory against Hofstra would make it even better.
 
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 29 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 20 years, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances during that period.
 
The University of South Florida men's soccer team was well represented on the AAC postseason All-Conference Team in 2021 with four players earning honors. Highlighting the Bulls' honorees was the American Athletic Conference Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, Kazuna Takase, along with first-team selection Shion Soga. In addition, Takase was also selected to the All-Conference Second Team along with Salvatore Mazzaferro, and Josh Gomina was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team.