TAMPA (September 16, 2023) – The University of South Florida men’s soccer (1-4) welcomes Elon (1-2-3, 0-1-1 CAA) to Corbett Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The contest will air live on ESPN+.
SETTING THE STAGE
The Bulls have won one of their last five games to start the campaign. Jalen Anderson, Ajmeer Spengler, Shion Soga have each scored a single goal for the Bulls. Elon has won two of its last for contests. In their last match, the Phoenix finished in a 2-2 tie against High Point.
SOUTH FLORIDA-ELON SERIES
Sunday’s match marks the first-ever meeting between the two squads.
LAST TIME OUT
South Florida Fell 3-2 to Clemson this past Tuesday night (Sept. 12). Senior midfielder Ajmeer Spengler put the Bulls in front in the 12th minute of action, with an assist from senior center back Luca Hollenstein. The second half of action saw four goals. Clemson’s offense found the net twice before junior midfielder Shion Soga netted the equalizer to make it 2-2 in the 79th minute of play.
RAKING IN THE HONORS
AAC Men’s Soccer Weekly Honors (Sept. 9)
Offensive Player of the Week: Jalen Anderson, Gr., ST, South Florida
Defensive Player of the Week: Nicolas Scargle, Jr., CB, South Florida
Honor Roll: Alan Horrocks, So., GK, South Florida
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Scott Vatne (two goals) is the team’s leading goal-scorer with four points, Vatne scored the game-winner in Elon’s 1-0 win against Jacksonville on Aug. 27. At the beginning of the season, Franc Gamiz Quer and Scott Vatne were both named to the USC Defender and Midfielder Watch, the 2023 Preseason All-CAA team, and the 2023 Hermann Trophy Watch List
PROMOTIONS
Sunday night’s contest is Los Toros (T-shirts for the first 500 students, must present student ID) themed and Bark in the Park night.
A LOOK AHEAD
The Bulls will face a nationally ranked SMU squad on Friday, Sept. 22 at Corbett Stadium. Kick time is slated for 5:00 p.m. and will air on ESPNU.
USF ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Alumni Jeff Attinella has been selected as a member of the 2023 USF Athletics Hall of Fame Class and will be inducted on Thurs., Nov. 9. Attinella is one of two student-athletes to receive that honor in USF men’s soccer history. An NSCAA First-Team All-American goalkeeper (2009), a three-time All-Region selection, and three-time Big East All-Conference honoree, earning first-team honors in both in 2009, Attinella played on four NCAA Tournament Teams and helped lead the 2007 team to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the 2008 team to the NCAA Elite Eight.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase men’s soccer tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.
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
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF Men’s Soccer news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
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. Men’s Soccer has two Alumni in the USF Athletics Hall of Fame: Fergus Hopper and Dan Holcomb, with Jeff Attinella joining as part of the 2023 class.
The Bulls have reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times over the past 22 seasons.
– #GoBulls –
