The Bulls, currently are on a five-match unbeaten streak, are coming off a 2-1 win over No. 14/21 Tulsa on Sunday.
TAMPA (Oct. 10, 2022) – University of South Florida men’s soccer standout Salvatore Mazzaferro was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 9. In addition, Segun Afolabi was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll. The tandem helped the Bulls to a 1-0-1 record, last week, which included a 2-2 draw at UAB on Oct. 5 and a thrilling 2-1 win over No. 14/21 Tulsa on Sunday.
Mazzaferro, a junior from Toronto, Canada, led the backline that allowed just 14 shots total against UAB and Tulsa, including only four shots on goal. He also helped to hold Tulsa to only eight shots after the Golden Hurricane came into the contest averaging 15.7 shots per match (2nd in the AAC, 24th nationally) and two shots on goal after averaging 6.5 per outing (4th in the AAC and 36th in the nation).
Mazzaferro was also a presence offensively recording two shots, including one on goal.
A sophomore from Austell, Ga., Afolabi had four shots on the week, all coming against Tulsa, marking a career-high. He scored his first goal of the season and the fourth of his career with the game-winner against the Golden Hurricane. In addition, he drew the foul in the box that led to the Bulls’ first penalty kick of the season and their first goal of the match.
South Florida is currently 3-3-3 on the year and 2-0-2 in The American and is the only undefeated team in the conference in league play. The Bulls are also in the midst of a five-match unbeaten streak.
South Florida continues its three-match homestand on Wednesday when it concludes its nonconference slate by hosting Stetson at 7 p.m. The Bulls will close out the three-match stretch on Sunday at 6 p.m. against FIU.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at Ticketmaster.
All home matches this season will 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.
In addition to Bulls Unlimited, all of South Florida’s home regular season matches will be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
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 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 –
