TAMPA (August 18th, 2023) – University of South Florida men's soccer standout Shion Soga has been named to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Preseason All-Conference team and the squad checked in fourth on the Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced by the league office on Friday.
 
The nod for Soga marks the second year in a row that the Aichi, Japan native has been selected to the AAC all-conference team. This past season he saw action in 15 matches with eight starts. The midfielder logged two goals on the year, his first goal came in a 2-2 tie at UAB (Oct. 5) and the second came in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament win against Hofstra (Nov. 17).  
 
Soga shined this season off the pitch as well, as he earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.
 
South Florida (43 points) was one of three programs to receive a first-place vote in the preseason coaches poll, locking the program into the fourth spot on the ledger.
 
The Green and Gold will jumpstart the 2023 season with a road swing on the West Coast, facing No. 6 Washington (Thursday, Aug. 24) at 10:30 p.m. and Seattle (Sunday, Aug. 27) at 7:00 p.m.
 
Preseason Coaches' Poll
FIU (5)            59 
Tulsa (3)         55
SMU   53
South Florida (1)        43
Memphis         36
Charlotte         33
Florida Atlantic          22
UAB    14
Temple            9
 
Offensive Player of the Year
Alexander Petraeus, So, F , SMU
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Mads Westergren, Jr., M, SMU
 
Goalkeeper of the Year
Alex Lopez, Jr. Tulsa
 
Preseason All-Conference
Jonathan Nyandjo, Sr., M, Charlotte
Ian Pitcher, Jr., D, Charlotte
Tom Abrahamsson, Gr., D, FAU
Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro, Jr., F, FIU
Yushi Nagao, Gr., M, FIU*
Alberto Cruz, So., F, Memphis
Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos, Jr., F, Memphis
Shion Soga, Jr., M, South Florida
JP Jordan, Jr., M, SMU
Alexander Petraeus, So., F, SMU
Mads Westergren, Jr., D, SMU*
Wes Bottenburg, So., D, Tulsa*
Malik Henry-Scott, Sr., F, Tulsa
Alex Lopez, Jr., GK, Tulsa
 
* denotes unanimous selection

TICKETS 
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WATCH THE BULLS
All of South Florida's home regular season matches will once again be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app is $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
 
Matches will also be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search "Bulls Unlimited'') and provides static-free quality whether you're listening on your streaming device, laptop, or desktop. 
 
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 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 3 trips to the elite eight.
 
The program also has a strong reputation within the professional game and boasts 30 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 reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times over the past 22 seasons.
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