Mazzaferro was a unanimous selection, while the Bulls are picked fourth by the league’s head coaches.
TAMPA (Aug. 19, 2021) – University of South Florida standout defender, Salvatore Mazzaferro (Toronto, Canada), has been named a unanimous selection to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced on Thursday.
In addition, the Bulls have been voted by The American head coaches to finish fourth in this year’s preseason coaches poll. The Bulls trail, only, UCF, SMU, and Tulsa, respectively. Rounding out the six-team preseason poll is Temple and Memphis.
Mazzaferro, a Second Team All-Conference selection last season, proved once again to be one of the top defensive players in The American. He played and started in all 10 matches for USF, and didn’t miss one second on the pitch, logging a team-high 927 minutes of match time. He was one of the key components for the Bulls on the backline while bringing an aggressive defensive style of play, winning challenges on the ground and in the air. In addition, he showed great passing range and distribution from the back, initiating attacks and breaking the opposition’s pressure.
Offensively, Mazzaferro recorded three points on one goal and an assist, both the first of his career. He posted his first career helper in a 2-1 win over No. 22 Tulsa (March 6), and then two matches later, at No. 17 SMU (March 20), he tallied his first career goal.
The Bulls will close out their exhibition season on Saturday when they host Florida Southern at Corbett Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m. and admission is free.
USF opens its regular season with back-to-back home matches, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. against Jacksonville for Youth Soccer and Camper night. It closes out its short homestand against UNC Wilmington on Sunday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. for its annual Bark with the Bulls night.
Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at Ticketmaster.
All home matches this season, including Saturday’s exhibition match, will be broadcast live on either Bulls Unlimited or Bulls Unlimited 2 with Darek Sharp on the call. Both stations are available via the iHeart Radio app (search “USF”) and provide static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop, or desktop.
In addition to Bulls Unlimited, all of USF’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.
This will mark the Bulls’ second campaign of the calendar year, after moving the 2020 fall schedule to last spring due to COVID-19.
Corbett Stadium will also return to full-capacity seating for fans for the first time since Nov. 9, 2019, 647-days.
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.
USF Soccer concluded the 2020 season with four players earning AAC honors, highlighted by first first-team selection Josue Monge and Salvatore Mazzaferro who was tabbed a second-team selection. Also, Oscar Resano and Brian Schaefer were named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team. Head coach Bob Butehorn returns to lead USF in his fifth season on the sidelines.
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