Salvatore Mazzaferro and Shion Soga earn the Bulls’ preseason conference accolades.
TAMPA (August 23, 2022) – University of South Florida men’s soccer standouts Salvatore Mazzaferro (Toronto, Canada) and Shion Soga (Aichi, Japan) have been named to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced on Tuesday.
Mazzaferro, a Second Team All-Conference selection last year, was a force all season on the defensive side of the ball, anchoring the Bulls’ defense that was third in the conference in goals allowed (29). A defender, Mazzaferro also helped South Florida to three shutouts on the year. Offensively, Mazzaferro recorded two assists, with those coming against Memphis on Oct. 15, and at Central Florida on Oct. 27.
Soga, who was a First Team selection last year, finished 2021 second on the Bulls in points scored with 10 on three goals and four assists, with his assists marking a team-high. A midfielder, Soga was named the conference Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending, Oct. 15, after posting his second of two three-point performances (1g, 1a) of the season. He also accomplished the feat in the season opener against Jacksonville on Aug. 26.
Soga, however, may be best remembered for his spectacular goal in South Florida’s thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Central Florida on Oct. 27 in Orlando.
In addition to Mazzaferro and Soga, South Florida has been voted by The American head coaches to finish sixth in this year’s preseason coaches poll. The Bulls trail Tulsa, picked first, Central Florida who was chosen second, Charlotte and FIU in a tie for third, and SMU in fifth, respectively. Rounding out the 10-team preseason poll is Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Temple and UAB.
The Green and Gold kick off the 2022 regular season on Thursday when Florida Gulf Coast makes the trip north on Interstate 75 for a 7 p.m. start with the Bulls at Corbett Stadium.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at Ticketmaster.
All home matches this season will 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.
In addition to Bulls Unlimited, all of South Florida’s home regular season matches will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
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.
–#GoBulls –
