The Bulls look for their third straight win and their best start since 2012 when they face the Bisons
TAMPA (SEPT. 12, 2019) – USF hits the road for just the second time this season as it travels to Nashville to face Lipscomb on Sept. 13. First touch is slated for 8 p.m. (ET). The Bulls look for their third straight win after a thrilling 2-0 shutout of No. 5 Louisville on Sept. 9 at Corbett Stadium. Friday’s match is the second of just two matches that USF will play on the road during the month of September.
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USF BULLS (2-1)
Last Game: Sept. 9 vs. No. 5 Louisville, W, 2-0
Next Game: Sept. 17 vs. Ohio State, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Bob Butehorn
Career Record: 145-114-34 (17th season)
At USF: 15-16-6 (Third season)
LIPSCOMB (1-2-1)
Last Game: Sept. 10 vs. Evansville, T, 1-1
Next Game: Sept. 21 vs. Jacksonville, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Charles Morrow
Career Record: 52-44-21 (15th season)
At Lipscomb: Same
QUICK HITS
– A win over Lipscomb would mark the Bulls’ best start – 3-1 – since the 2012 season when they also started the season 3-1 … In addition, it would also be their first three-match winning streak since 2017, when they defeated Loyola Marymount (1-0), North Florida (5-1) and UCF (3-2, 2ot), consecutively.
– Friday’s match against Lipscomb is USF’s second of two that it will play on the road during the month of September.
– Victor Claudel was named to the America Athletic Conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 9 … Claudel helped USF to its first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Marquette on Sept. 6, by netting his first career goal.
– Claudel tallied his second career goal, and his second in back-to-back matches, with his marker on Sept. 9 in the 2-0 win against No. 9 Louisville … The insurance goal came just 11 minutes after Josue Monge recorded the game-winner with his first goal of the season in the 8’ minute of play … In addition to Monge and Claudel, the Bulls also got shots from Avionne Flanagan, Jonathan Rosales, Stephen Rudderham, Freddy Gil and Trey Jackson … Harrison Devenish-Meares’s clean sheet was his first of the season, and the fourth of his career … He recorded five saves.
– Claudel leads the Bulls in scoring with four points (2g) coming on just six shots.
SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
– Lipscomb comes into its match with USF with a 1-2-1 record on the heels of a 1-1 draw in its home opener against Evansville on Sept. 10 … The Bisons lone win came against East Tennessee (3-0) on Sept. 7.
– Lipscomb has faced two of USF’s opponents in its first four matches of the season … The Bison dropped a 3-0 decision at SMU on Aug. 30 in their season opener and had a 3-1 setback at Tulsa on Sept. 2.
– Noah Gulden leads Lipscomb in scoring with three points (2g, 1a) while five others have two points on the year.
THE SERIES VS. THE BISON
– USF and Lipscomb have met just once prior to Friday night’s match with the Bulls handing the Bison a 3-0 win on Aug. 28, 2017 at Corbett Stadium in Tampa.
LAST TIME OUT
– USF faced its second Top 25 opponent of the season on Sept. 9 when No. 5 Louisville visited Corbett Stadium with the Bulls stunning the Cardinals, 2-0 … The Bulls got all the scoring that they needed in the first 19 minutes of the contest and then locked Louisville down the rest of the way allowing UofL to get off a season low eight shots with none really being a threat.
– Josue Monge netted his first goal of the season – and the eventual game-winner – in the 8’ minute, off a pass from Avionne Flanagan … Just under 11 minutes later freshman Victor Claudel served up a sliding pass to Flanagan who beat two defenders and put a spectacular bending shot on net only to have it saved … Claudel, who never quit after the pass, found himself in the right place at the right time taking the rebound in mid-air and sent it past the Cardinals net minder to make the score 2-0 in the 19’ minute.
CLAUDEL NAMED TO AAC WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
– Victor Claudel was named to the America Athletic Conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 9 … It is Claudel’s first weekly honor … Claudel helped USF to its first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Marquette on Sept. 6, by netting his first career goal … Claudel fired off three shots against the Golden Eagles with all coming on frame … His three shots were just part of a 26-shot onslaught by the Bulls on Marquette.
BULLS CLOSE PRESEASON WITH 3-0 EXHIBITION RECORD
– USF closed out its 2019 preseason schedule with a 3-0 record, capped off by a 1-0 win over the University of Tampa in the 41st annual Rowdies Cup at Corbett Stadium on Aug. 24 … Freshman forward Victor Claudel netted the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 85’.
– The Bulls also defeated Eastern Florida State College (2-0) on Aug. 17 and Eckerd College (1-0) on Aug. 21 in their first two exhibition matches.
BILLHARDT & FLANAGAN EARN PRESEASON AAC HONORS
– USF men’s soccer standouts Avionne Flanagan and Adrian Billhardt and have been named to the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Preseason All-Conference Team.
– Flanagan finished 2018 with Second Team All-AAC honors … He played in all 17 matches for the Bulls and started in 16 … He scored two goals on the year off 15 shots … His goal against Florida Atlantic marked his first game-winner and was a crucial turning point for USF, which posted a 3-1-2 record in its next six matches.
– Billhardt earned preseason all-conference honors after recording four points on four assists in 2018 … A great technical player, he is creative and extremely dangerous one-on-one with a big left foot … Billhardt was also recognized during his freshman season, in 2017, when he was named First Team All-AAC and to the All-Rookie Team.
BULLS TABBED FOURTH IN AAC PRESEASON POLL
– USF was voted by the league’s head coaches to finish fourth in this year’s preseason American Athletic Conference Coaches poll … The Bulls trail only UCF, SMU and UConn … Temple, Memphis, Tulsa and Cincinnati round out the bottom four.
UP NEXT
– Following Friday’s match, USF returns home to Corbett Stadium on Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., to face Ohio State.
To purchase tickets for USF men’s soccer, or to purchase an Olympic Gold Pass which provides entry to all men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball home contests in 2019, visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GO-BULLS.
