TAMPA (March 31, 2020) – Following impressive careers on the pitch for the University of South Florida men’s soccer team, standouts Emilio Ycaza (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Jonathan Rosales (Kissimmee, Fla.) recently signed professional contracts to further their playing careers. Ycaza signed with the Reno 1868 FC in the USL Championship League, while Rosales inked with Orlando City B in USL League One.
Ycaza started in 13 of the 18 games he played for the Bulls this past season and tied for second on the team with four goals in 2019. He had 22 shots on the year, good enough for a share of fourth, with eight coming on goal, also tied for fourth. A product of St. Petersburg Catholic High School, Ycaza scored a season-high two goals – the second being the game-winning goal – against Lipscomb (Sept. 13).
In two seasons with the Bulls, Ycaza played in 35 career matches and scored 17 points (7g, 3a).
During the 2019 campaign, Reno finished second in the Western Conference with an 18-10-6 record, however fell in the first round of the playoffs, 3-1, to the Sacramento Republic FC.
A graduate of Liberty High School prior to his time at USF, Rosales started in 16 of the 17 matches he saw time in during the 2019 season. He tied for second on the team with four goals, ranked second with 10 points and tallied two assists. Rosales scored the game-winning goal, and lone goal, during a victory over North Florida (Sept. 24). He also found the back of the net against Lipscomb (Sept. 13), Jacksonville (Oct. 15) and Cincinnati (Nov. 1).
For his career with the Bulls, Rosales played in 49 matches and logged 10 points (4g, 2a).
Last season, Orlando City B finished 10th in League One with a 4-20-4 record.
During the 2019 campaign, USF posted an 11-7-1 record that included a win over No. 5 Louisville and advanced to its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance.
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