The Bulls look for their fifth win their last six matches when they face the Huskies
TAMPA (SEPT. 26, 2019) – USF returns home for the first of two straight matches, beginning on Friday, Sept. 27, when it faces UConn in the American Athletic Conference opener for both sides. First touch is slated for 7 p.m. The Bulls look for their second consecutive win – and their fifth win in the last six matches – after a hard fought 1-0 victory at North Florida in Sept. 24. The match will be carried live on BullsVision with Jim Henderson on the call. Click the link below to watch live.
USF BULLS (4-2)
Last Game: Sept. 24 at North Florida, W, 1-0
Next Game: Oct. 1 vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Bob Butehorn
Career Record: 147-115-34 (17th season)
At USF: 17-17-6 (Third season)
UCONN HUSKIES (3-4)
Last Game: Sept. 20 vs. Columbia, L, 3-2
Next Game: Oct. 1 at Dartmouth, 7 p.m.
Head Coach: Ray Reid
Career Record: 448-134-75 (31st season)
At UConn: 302-117-60 (23rd season)
QUICK HITS
– Friday’s match against UConn is USF’s first of two straight that it will play at home … The Bulls will close out the two-match stretch on Oct. 1, when Florida Gulf Coast visits Corbett Stadium.
– Harrison Devenish-Meares has been the mainstay in net for the Bulls playing all 540 minutes and recording 16 saves … He logged his fifth career shutout – and the second of the season – at North Florida on Sept. 24.
– Jonathan Rosales took over the team lead in scoring with his one goal against North Florida … Rosales’ game winner was the first of the season and his goal the second of 2019 … Rosales has five points (2g, 1a) and is one points ahead of Victor Claudel and Emilio Ycaza who are second in scoring with four points apiece, each scoring two goals on the year … Trey Jackson 1g, 1a) and Avionne Flanagan (2a) each have two points on the year.
SCOUTING UCONN
– UConn comes into Friday’s match with a 3-4 record following its 3-2 loss to Columbia on Sept. 20 … The Huskies are 1-4 since starting the 2019 season 2-0 … Their lone win during that stretch was a 2-0 win over Manhattan on Sept. 17.
– Jordan Hall and Dayonn Harris have accounted for the majority of the Huskies’ offensive production this season …Hall comes into the match with USF with 16 points (8g) while Harris has seven points (7a) … Eight other players have scored three or fewer points.
– Gianluca Catalano has played all 630 minutes in net for UConn this season … He has recorded 16 saves and has a 1.86 goals against average.
THE SERIES VS. THE HUSKIES
– USF comes into its matchup at UConn trailing in the all-time series, 3-12-4 … The Bulls are 1-1-1 in the last three matches against the Huskies.
– UConn holds a 29-10 scoring advantage against USF in the all-time series.
LAST TIME OUT
– In front of a record crowd of 1,612, USF sent the North Florida faithful home disappointed, as the Bulls handed the Ospreys a 1-0 loss on Sept. 24 in Jacksonville.
– Jonathan Rosales tallied the game winner in the 81st minute on a header off a corner kick from Avionne Flanagan, beating the Ospreys keeper, Padraic Gilley, to the low left corner … The corner kick was set up when Henrique Gallina nearly beat Gilley seconds before, however, the net minder sent the ball behind the goal with one of his three saves … The score came on Rosales’ lone shot of the night.
– Harrison Devenish-Meares had two saves for the Bulls and posted his second clean sheet of the season and the fifth of his career.
QUARTET EARNS AAC WEEKLY HONORS
– The USF men’s soccer team had a quartet of standouts earn weekly American Athletic Conference honors for the week ending Sept. 16 … Javain Brown was named Defensive Player of the Week, Harrison Devenish-Meares was named Goalkeeper of the Week and Victor Claudel was tabbed Rookie of the Week. Emilio Ycaza was named to the AAC honor roll … The Bulls, 3-1 on the year, posted a 2-0 record last week with wins over No. 5 Louisville (2-0) and Lipscomb (3-1).
– It’s the second straight week that a USF player was honored … Claudel was named to the honor roll on Sept. 9.
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 will return to Corbett Stadium on Oct. 1 for its second of two consecutive matches when Florida Gulf Coast visits Corbett Stadium. First touch is slated for 7 p.m.
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