Brian Schaefer and Sal Mazzaferro find the back of the net for the Bulls in the loss.
DALLAS (March 20, 2021) – In a matchup of two of the American Athletic Conference’s top teams, the University of South Florida men’s soccer team looked to extend its winning streak to five matches, however, in the end, No. 16/17 SMU pulled out a hard-fought contest, on each side, 3-2.
The Bulls fall to 4-3 on the year while the Mustangs improve to 4-2.
After SMU struck first on the first of Skage Simonsen’s three goals on the night, USF got back-to-back goals less than five minutes apart at the end of the first half, to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Brian Schaefer knotted the match up at one-all, being in the right place at the right time, when a rebound off a Josue Monge shot on a set-piece found Schaefer’s foot and he buried the ball into the back of the goal in the 37th minute.
Sal Mazzaferro then tallied his first career goal, and what may be the goal of the year to date, to give the Bulls the lead, 2-1. Richard Laval lofted the ball from 24 yards out to Mazzaferro who found himself on the end line, with no room and no angle. That, however, didn’t stop the Canadian native from getting the ball on his foot and taking advantage of the 12-inch space between SMU keeper Cole Johnson and the post, beating the net-minder and – somehow – getting the ball over the line.
Simonsen put the Mustangs on top for good at the beginning of the second half with consecutive goals in the 46th and 47th minutes, the first coming on a one-timer and the second off an assist from Gabriel Costa.
Kazuna Takase had four saves on the night, including two big ones in the second half to keep the SMU advantage at just one goal.
Victor Claudel didn’t make it easy for the Mustangs in the final moments, taking an offering off a corner kick and heading a shot to the far post which caused Johnson to make a diving save to protect the SMU lead with just seconds left in the match.
Scoring Summary
SMU – Skage Simonsen (Timo Hummrich; 14:42)
USF – Brian Schaefer (Unassisted; 36:41)
USF – Sal Mazzaferro (Richard Laval; 41:27)
SMU – Skage Simonsen (Harvey Castro, Noah Hilt; 45:58)
SMU – Skage Simonsen (Gabriel Costa; 46:43)
1 2 F
USF 2 0 2
SMU 1 2 3
Shots: USF 10, SMU 15
Shots on Goal: USF 5, SMU 7
Saves: USF 4, SMU 3
Corner Kicks: USF 3, SMU 4
Fouls: USF 22, SMU 15
Notable
- For the third-straight week, the Bulls have had multiple underclassmen find the back of the net.
- The loss to the Mustangs snaps USF’s five-match conference winning streak, its longest since 2016 … It fell one match shy of equaling its longest conference streak since the 2011 season when the Bulls played in the BIG EAST Conference.
Up Next
The Bulls will return home on March 27 when they welcome UCF to Corbett Stadium in the final regular-season edition of the War on I-4. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. (ESPN+).
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 27 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 19 years, including 12 NCAA Tournament appearances during that period.
USF Soccer concluded the 2019 season with an 11-7-1 overall record, earning an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. Four players earned AAC honors, highlighted by first team selections Avionne Flanagan and Javain Brown. Adrian Billhardt was tabbed a second team selection. In addition, Brown and Salvatore Mazzaferro were named to The AAC All-Rookie Team. Head coach Bob Butehorn returns to lead USF in his fourth season on the sidelines.
– #GoBulls –
