TAMPA, OCT. 15, 2014 – For the fifth straight game the Bulls scored three goals as they cruised to their second consecutive win, defeating Denver 3-0 at Corbett Stadium on Wednesday night.

No. 24 USF (8-4, 3-1) was led offensively by an unlikely face in freshman defender Gabriel Pfeffer, who scored his first two career goals in just his second-career start.

After a defensive standoff for the majority of the first half, Pfeffer got the Bulls on the board with a perfect header in the top right corner off a corner kick in the 39^th minute.

“I think he was a couple feet over the crossbar on the header and we knew he could be a threat on those so it was good to see him get that goal,” head coach George Kiefer said.

Lucas Baldin recorded his eighth assist of the season on the goal to put himself in a tie for third in the country in that category.

The Bulls took a 1-0 lead into halftime and didn’t take long to add to it in the second half, scoring a little over 4 minutes in on an incredible individual effort by Pfeffer for his second goal of the game. The Uruguayan native went on a long, weaver run through the Denver defense and slid the ball past the keeper along the end line to make it 2-0.

“I tried to go back and I didn’t have any good passes, so I was just running forward and looking for the goal and that was it, just hard work,” Pfeffer said.

USF kept the pressure on and scored another insurance goal just under 4 minutes later on a superb free kick over the wall by Baldin from 20 yards out into the top right corner. It was the fifth goal of the season for Baldin, who now leads the team in goals and assists.

The defense took over from there and held the Pioneers scoreless for the remainder of the match to pick up their fifth shutout of the season.

“I was most pleased with when we made a lot of changes to be able to still keep a shutout…really solid performance from everybody,” Kiefer stated.

Goalkeepers Spasoje Stefanovic and Dallas Jaye made three saves apiece to combine for the shutout for the second time this season.

Next up for the Bulls is a huge game against No. 21 SMU on Saturday at 8 p.m. in Dallas, Texas. USF and SMU are currently first and second in the American Athletic Conference standings.

“Awesome,” Kiefer said in regards to the team’s upcoming game against the Mustangs. “You look at the standings and you see SMU above you and I know my group doesn’t like to see that. We’ve watched them and they’re a good side so that’s going to be a fun one in Dallas.”

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