USF drops regular season finale, gets Big East’s No. 3 seed
It was a sloppy way to end the season for the Bulls – literally.
Playing a match in the pouring rain Saturday night at Rutgers, the No. 9 Bulls (12-3-2, 6-3-2) were upset 2-1 in double overtime by the Scarlet Knights (8-9-0, 5-6-0), snapping a five-match winning streak.
Rutgers defender Andrew Cuevas sealed the victory with a goal after just a minute and a half in the second overtime, beating USF goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, who has been steady for the Bulls this season.
“The weather conditions made the match difficult,” said USF coach George Kiefer. “The field was completely soaked, so we couldn’t pass the ball the way we normally do. We had to lift it in the air for it to go anywhere at all.”
After a scoreless first half, it took just 44 seconds for Rutgers to grab the lead. Midfielder Dan Parr took a pass from Ibrahim Kamara and ripped a shot past Attinella.
However, Kiefer said he felt the goal should not have been allowed because an official motioned for an offside call before the goal was scored.
“The referee made an offsides call, so the goal really shouldn’t have counted,” he said. “I don’t know why it was not called back, but I guess it was just a bad break for us.”
More bad breaks would come, including two USF shots that ricocheted off the post. But freshman Hasani Sinclair finally found an equalizer for the Bulls when he connected on an 18-yard blast that beat the keeper on the upper-right hand corner of the net.
The loss, combined with St. John’s win over Syracuse Sunday, earned USF the Big East Red Division’s No. 3 seed.
“This was a really great season for us,” Kiefer said. “I’m proud of our guys for their outstanding record and the way they handled themselves this season. Now we’ll sit back and wait to see who we play in the first round of the Big East tournament.”
More Stories
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]
USF’s ‘Take Back the Night’ allows sexual survivors to share pain, resilience: ‘Recovery isn’t easy.’
A sexual assault survivor, who was the first speaker at Wednesday evening’s “Take Back the Night,” said the hardest day of their life was not when they were assaulted – it was the day after. “When I had to call my mom and tell her how her [child lost their] virginity and tell my therapist […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
McKinley Drive closed down for death investigation, Tampa police say
The intersection between Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive was closed due to a death investigation late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Tampa Police Department (TPD). A man shot himself after making a bomb threat in the parking lot of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), located at 11201 McKinley Drive, according to TPD. Police said […]
USF 2024-25 A&S budget to increase student organization funding in Tampa and St. Pete
The Student Government (SG) Senate approved the 2024-25 Student Activities & Services (A&S) budget for all three campuses this Tuesday, seeing an overall increase in allocated money to student organizations. The vote was 26-0, approving the budget. Related: 2023-24 A&S budget down $5 million from last fiscal year Students pay fees in their tuition – […]