Two men’s soccer players receive AAC preseason team nominations
With the 2022 regular season beginning Thursday, two Bulls have been elected to the AAC Preseason All-Conference Team.
On the defensive end, Salvatore Mazzaferro is a junior center/left-back at USF who played a major role in locking down opponents. Mazzaferro is not new to receiving nominations, including All-AAC Second Team in 2020 and AAC All-Conference Second Team in 2021.
Mazzaferro provides a strong pillar on defense, leading the team in minutes played and logging at least 90 minutes in all but two games.
Leading the team in assists and finishing second in points, sophomore midfielder Shion Soga became a powerhouse when joining the team. Soga was named the conference Offensive Player of the Week in October after putting up his second three-point game of the season.
One of his memorable key plays during last season includes his overtime goal against conference rival Central Florida, making a huge contribution in the 4-3 victory.
After being elected to the 2021 AAC All-Conference First Team, he is expected to be an essential aid on the roster and play a valuable role.
South Florida is currently predicted to finish sixth in this year’s preseason coaches poll, trailing UCF and other talented programs like Tulsa and Southern Methodist.
USF will play their season opener Thursday against Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. in Corbett Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and iHeartRadio Bulls Unlimited.
More Stories
USF baseball sees three selected in MLB Draft
In the first year under head coach Mitch Hannahs, three Bulls pitchers were selected in the second day of the MLB Draft. Bulls pitchers Corey Braun, Bryce Archie and Austin Newton were selected in the middle rounds of the draft that stretched into Monday night. Despite being drafted, all three players will have the option […]
OPINION: USF coaches need to be more than game-day leaders
In his first year at USF, baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs brought an old-school approach to the program. He stayed off social media and had minimal interactions with fans, except during press conferences and games. And toward the end of the season, Hannahs began to decline interviews with The Oracle — both for himself and […]
USF prepares for more scholarships, revenue opportunities after NIL settlement
As universities began directly paying athletes on Tuesday as part of the House v. NCAA settlement, increased scholarships and revenue opportunities will become the norm under the landmark NIL ruling. Former USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly told The Oracle that the settlement also paves the way for another opportunity for USF to be invited to […]
USF’s Fowler Avenue ‘isn’t going anywhere’ despite NIL changes
Corey Staniscia didn’t need a court ruling to see where college sports were headed. Long before a federal judge approved the House v. NCAA settlement on June 6, Staniscia saw what was coming — a future where schools, not just collectives, could pay athletes directly. So, as the CEO and co-founder of the Fowler Avenue […]
USF support program helps international student-athletes thrive
For Mathis Haugen, a USF international student-athlete from Norway, his journey started with a leap of faith. Haugen said he planned to take a gap year after high school and then apply to college. But when USF recruited him in fall 2021, everything changed. Now a senior, the men’s soccer defender had never visited the […]
USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
USF men’s basketball officially has a full house, finalizing its revamped roster with all 15 scholarship spots now filled. New head coach Bryan Hodgson has wasted no time building a new roster. After Hodgson was hired in March, he began his tenure by securing three high school recruits and five players out of the transfer […]