TAMPA (Dec. 23, 2022) – University of South Florida men's soccer standout Salvatore Mazzaferro was selected on Wednesday in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas. Mazzaferro was taken in the third round with the 72^nd pick overall and is the 26^th player in program history to hear his name called during the MLS SuperDraft.  
 
Mazzaferro, a resident of Toronto, Canada who was recently named to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Third Team and was a Second Team American Athletic Conference All-Conference Team after the regular season, was a force all season on the defensive side of the ball. He anchored the Bulls' back line that helped lead to four shutouts on the year for the Green and Gold.
 
An "Iron Man" on the pitch, Mazzaferro logged 1,704 minutes of match time out of a possible 1,710 minutes in matches played. This included 18 out of 19 full 90-minute matches.
 
South Florida advanced to The American championship match against top-seeded FIU after defeating second-seeded SMU, 1-0, in the tournament semifinals on Nov. 10. In addition, the Bulls earned an at-large bid to its 22^nd NCAA Tournament appearance defeating Hofstra in the first round, 4-2, before falling to the No. 1 overall seed, Kentucky.
 
South Florida finished the season 9-7-4 overall and with a 5-1-3 mark in the American Athletic Conference.
 
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.