The Bulls, who will play in their 22nd NCAA Tournament, will face the Pride at Corbett Stadium at 7 p.m.
By Joey Johnston
TAMPA (Nov. 14, 2022) – The USF men’s soccer team didn’t have a long wait Monday afternoon to learn its NCAA Tournament fate.
In the first matchup announced during the unveiling of the NCAA’s 48-team field, the Bulls (8-6-4) will face Hofstra University (14-3-3) on Thursday night at Corbett Stadium at 7 p.m.
The winner travels to the Kentucky Wildcats (14-0-5), the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, which earned a first-round bye.
“I like that we didn’t have to wait long on the brackets,’’ USF coach Bob Butehorn said. “That’s good. We’re at home. I think we earned that. So let’s go to work.’’
About three weeks ago, it seemed like USF’s NCAA Tournament ambitions were a pipe dream. The Bulls were hovering in the 80s for Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). But they roared to a five-match winning streak — first ignited by a 2-1 win at Charlotte on a throw-in/header goal during the final seconds — and reached Sunday’s American Athletic Conference Tournament final.
Although the Bulls fell against home-standing Florida International University 2-0, they did more than enough for NCAA at-large berth consideration because USF’s RPI is now 34.
“Honestly, we were three minutes from hosting the (AAC) tournament here, so we made some really big strides,’’ Butehorn said. “I’m really proud of the guys and how they went through that condensed schedule. We played some really, really good teams in our conference (the AAC had five NCAA Tournament teams, including three that earned seeds and first-round byes).
“We know Hofstra is a tough opponent and now we figure out and research how to play against them. But the way we finished definitely gives me confidence. I hope it does the same for the boys. We’ve been a good team throughout but we were just too inconsistent in the beginning. Now that we’re playing with consistency, it makes all the difference. That has given us confidence and belief in our abilities.’’
USF players were enthused over the team’s first-round matchup, especially because the Bulls earned one more date at Corbett, their home field.
“It’s going to be insane having the home fans behind us,’’ Bulls defender Salvatore Mazzaferro said. “We love being at home and we are going to be fired up. We’re so grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get out there.’’
“Now we get to dress up Corbett with the NCAA banners,’’ Bulls defender Sergio Pineros Mayorga said. “We’ve known all along we had a good team. Once we started believing in ourselves and getting the results, everything changed. I don’t think there’s any pressure on us at all. We’re used to playing in games that really matter. We’ve been doing that for weeks now. We go into the NCAAs with a lot of momentum.’’
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 –
