USF Earns Hard-Fought Win in Rivalry Game at UCF

Men's Soccer USF

USF Earns Hard-Fought Win in Rivalry Game at UCF

Team 1 2 OT 2OT Final
USF 1 0 - - 1
UCF 0 0 - - 0

 

ORLANDO, OCT. 22, 2014 – Eduardo Maceira headed home a corner kick in the 36th minute and the USF defense held strong the rest of the way in a 1-0 win over rival UCF on Wednesday night in Orlando.

It was the sixth shutout this season for the Bulls as they held the Knights (1-9-4, 0-3-3) to only three shots on goal and earned a bit of redemption after a 1-0 loss last year in Tampa.

USF struck in the 36th minute when Maceira headed home his third goal of the season off a Lucas Baldin corner kick. It was the fourth goal off a corner for the Bulls this season and gave Baldin his ninth assist of the year after coming into the match tied for sixth in the nation in that category.

Both teams combined for only seven shots in the opening 45 minutes, but USF had to withstand an early surge by the Knights as Spasoje Stefanovic made a couple nice saves in the opening minutes.

Play opened up as the second half progressed with the Knights pushing for the equalizer, leaving them vulnerable on the counter attack.

USF had a couple of great chances to pad its lead late in the game but narrowly missed on multiple occasions. Marcus Epps had a shot saved off the line by UCF defender Matt Laux in the 85th minute and Tyler Blackwood sent a shot wide on a breakaway just minutes later.

Despite the missed opportunities to grab a late insurance goal, the Bulls were able to hold the Knights to only one shot on goal in the second half and pick up their 22nd win in program history against UCF. With the win, USF improved to 9-4-1 overall and 4-1-1 in American Athletic Conference play this season.

Past players and coaches will be in attendance at Corbett Stadium when the Bulls return home for their annual alumni game this Saturday night against the Memphis Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE.

Follow the men's soccer team on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.

The men's soccer program has been one of the most successful teams on campus over the years, making it to seven straight NCAA tournaments and eight of the last nine. They won the inaugural American Athletic Conference Championship last season and Head Coach George Kiefer has also led the Bulls to two Elite Eight appearances and four conference titles in his 12 seasons as head coach. Purchase season and single-game tickets HERE.

- #GoBulls -

 

 

USF G A Shots
Eduardo Maceira 1 0 1
UCF
G A Shots
Romario Williams 0 0 5
USF Min. GA Saves
Spasoje Stefanovic 90:00 0 3
UCF
Min. GA Saves
Zach Biggs 90:00 1 7

 

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Players Mentioned

Lucas Baldin

#17 Lucas Baldin

MF
5' 8"
Freshman
Marcus Epps

#15 Marcus Epps

MF
Freshman
Tyler Blackwood

#9 Tyler Blackwood

F
Senior
Eduardo Maceira

#13 Eduardo Maceira

MF
Freshman
Spasoje Stefanovic

#30 Spasoje Stefanovic

GK
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Lucas Baldin

#17 Lucas Baldin

5' 8"
Freshman
MF
Marcus Epps

#15 Marcus Epps

Freshman
MF
Tyler Blackwood

#9 Tyler Blackwood

Senior
F
Eduardo Maceira

#13 Eduardo Maceira

Freshman
MF
Spasoje Stefanovic

#30 Spasoje Stefanovic

Sophomore
GK