Bulls search for second AAC win
Coming off its third straight win, USF men’s soccer looks to keep the streak alive as it faces the Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa (5-4-1, 1-1) currently ranks second in the AAC behind No. 16 USF. They are currently on a two-game winning streak after their 4-2 victory over Cincinnati.
“We know Tulsa’s a very good team,” senior captain Lucas Baldin said. “They’ve had a very good program for a very long time. It’s conference play now; we’ve got to get everybody together and it’s going to be a very important game for us.”
The Golden Hurricane pulled the upset by beating the No. 14 Virginia Cavaliers earlier this season in double overtime.
“It’s always nice to have a good opponent because it means we have to step our game up,” senior forward Tyler Blackwood said. “They’ve beaten good teams, so it’s a good test; it makes us raise our level of play.”
In Saturday’s game against Temple, the USF goalkeepers did not record a single save due to the constant pressure of the USF defense.
“The defense has been unbelievable with the shutouts these last few games,” Blackwood said. “Our defense hasn’t been giving our keepers anything to do; they’re sitting there having a cup of tea. But again, these guys are feared in the league. Who would want to come here and play against our defense?”
After stumbling to a 2-2 start to the season, the team has found its rhythm and playing style.
“I believe everybody is contributing in their own way,” Baldin said. “As you can see from the last game, everybody went in, so every player is important to this team. Everybody is putting in good effort, so that is why we are getting these wins.”
The seniors have led the way for the Bulls recently, with Blackwood contributing four goals last week and Baldin recording one assist per game in five straight matches.
The Bulls play Tulsa tonight at 7:30 in Corbett Stadium.