USF men's soccer will play four games this spring, including three against professional teams. ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB
USF men’s soccer announced its four-game spring schedule Monday, including three against professional teams.
The Bulls begin their spring season Saturday at 7 p.m. against Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union at the Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater. The game between the Bulls and Union will be free and open to the public.
USF then travels to Bradenton to take on Louisville City of the USL Championship at IMG Academy on Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. Louisville is coming off back-to-back league championships after winning the USL Cup the past two seasons.
The Bulls’ lone home game of the spring will be played at Corbett Stadium on March 2 at 7 p.m. against the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship.
“We’re very fortunate to have these type of playing opportunities in the spring,” coach Bob Butehorn said in a text to The Oracle. “These games provide our players with a clear picture of what it takes to compete at the next levels. This type of competition offers each player the rare opportunity to see how he stacks up against a professional.”
Rounding out the spring schedule is a matchup against the Division II Tampa Spartans. The game will be played March 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Pepin Stadium on the University of Tampa’s campus. The Bulls and Spartans last met at Pepin Stadium on Aug. 18 as part of the annual Rowdies Cup game, with USF winning 3-1 behind a hat trick from Stephen Rudderham.
