USF hosts Harvard

A Big East championship did more for the South Florida men’s soccer team than give it a shiny piece of eye candy for the University’s expanding trophy case — it gave the Bulls a first round bye in the NCAA tournament.

Tonight, the Bulls take the pitch for the first time since winning the Big East title for their second round game against the Harvard Crimson at 7:30 at the USF soccer stadium.

USF (14-4-2) earned the No. 8 seed in the 48-team tournament. The top 16 teams got first-round byes.

“The layoff was good,” USF coach George Kiefer said. “It’s the best week of training we’ve had in a while. The guys look real sharp right now.”

USF needs to utilize their home-field advantage Tuesday night. The Bulls finished the regular season and Big East tournament without a home loss.

“It’s been a major advantage for us so far this season,” Kiefer said. “We’ve been fortunate to play very well here, and I know the guys are proud of what they’ve accomplished at home.”

Senior defender Yohance Marshall said the Bulls are excited to play at home and take the field as Big East champions.

Kiefer said the Bulls are trying to keep their focus on Harvard, however, and not look back at winning the Big East title.

“Harvard’s a very good opponent for us,” he said. “They’re a lot like many of the opponents we’ve seen this year so we feel real good about this game.”

The Bulls No. 8 seed was the second highest in the Big East, despite the team winning the Big East tournament. St. John’s — the Big East runner-up — was the No. 3 seed overall.

“We knew we had some people making arguments for us and against us,” Kiefer said. “I think both seedings are fair. St. John’s had a great season, and they deserved that ranking. It doesn’t bother us at all.”

Kiefer also said the Bulls — who could host a quarterfinal matchup with a win Tuesday — are trying to take the NCAA tournament one game at a time.

“You can’t look at it like a tournament or you can get exhausted,” he said. “It’s one game against Harvard, Tuesday at 7:30, and that’s the only thing on our mind, nothing more.”

Additional reporting by correspondent Phil Neary.A Big East championship did more for the South Florida men’s soccer team than give it a shiny piece of eye candy for the University’s expanding trophy case — it gave the Bulls a first round bye in the NCAA tournament.

Tonight, the Bulls take the pitch for the first time since winning the Big East title for their second round game against the Harvard Crimson at 7:30 at the USF soccer stadium.

USF (14-4-2) earned the No. 8 seed in the 48-team tournament. The top 16 teams got first-round byes.

“The layoff was good,” USF coach George Kiefer said. “It’s the best week of training we’ve had in a while. The guys look real sharp right now.”

USF needs to utilize their home-field advantage Tuesday night. The Bulls finished the regular season and Big East tournament without a home loss.

“It’s been a major advantage for us so far this season,” Kiefer said. “We’ve been fortunate to play very well here, and I know the guys are proud of what they’ve accomplished at home.”

Senior defender Yohance Marshall said the Bulls are excited to play at home and take the field as Big East champions.

Kiefer said the Bulls are trying to keep their focus on Harvard, however, and not look back at winning the Big East title.

“Harvard’s a very good opponent for us,” he said. “They’re a lot like many of the opponents we’ve seen this year so we feel real good about this game.”

The Bulls No. 8 seed was the second highest in the Big East, despite the team winning the Big East tournament. St. John’s — the Big East runner-up — was the No. 3 seed overall.

“We knew we had some people making arguments for us and against us,” Kiefer said. “I think both seedings are fair. St. John’s had a great season, and they deserved that ranking. It doesn’t bother us at all.”

Kiefer also said the Bulls — who could host a quarterfinal matchup with a win Tuesday — are trying to take the NCAA tournament one game at a time.

“You can’t look at it like a tournament or you can get exhausted,” he said. “It’s one game against Harvard, Tuesday at 7:30, and that’s the only thing on our mind, nothing more.”

Additional reporting by correspondent Phil Neary.