ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20, 2018- The USF men’s soccer team fell 2-1 on Saturday night to its fourth ranked foe of the season, No. 19 UCF, despite a first-half equalizing goal from Josue Monge.

 

USF (5-6-2, 2-1-1 AAC) got down early when UCF’s Cal Jennings intercepted the ball and slotted it around USF goalkeeper to score the first goal in the first minute of play. The Bulls erased the misstep in the first half when Josue Monge (Philadelphia) scored his second goal this season for the equalizer, a diving header on a beautiful pass to the center of the box from teammate Adrian Billhardt (Berlin, Germany). Billhardt has now had an assist in three of the last four games. 

 

The Bulls and the Knights emerged from halftime tied at 1-1 before Walker Dawkins punched in the go-ahead goal for UCF (10-2-2, 3-1-1 AAC) on an assist from Andres Hernandez in the 68^th minute. USF’s Harrison Devenish-Meares had four saves all coming in the second period, helping the Bulls stay in the tight one-goal game.

 

USF made plays for another goal with two more shot attempts and two corner kicks before time ran out and USF fell 2-1 in the competitive match.

 

Offensive plays were crucial in the hotly contested rivalry match, which featured proven scorers on both sides as the Bulls and the Knights had 15 and 18 shots respectively on the night, with eight and six coming on frame, respectively. 

 

Notable

 

• In the last nine matches, USF is unbeaten in seven, and four of those have gone to overtime. 
• Josue Monge’s goal is his second this season, helping USF earn crucial conference points.
• Adrian Billhardt has recorded an assist in three of the last four matches.

 

War on I-4 Rivalry
The War on I-4 represents a long-standing and passionate rivalry between the fan bases of two of the nation's largest and fastest growing universities. The Orlando and Tampa Bay metropolitan areas, which form the fourth-largest media market in the nation, are connected by 100 short miles of Interstate 4 (I-4).
 
The official recognition of the rivalry and the traditional name, first established by the fans, creates an annual series of scored competitions across multiple sports programs. The War On I-4 rivalry series officially began Sept. 21, 2016 with a competition between the two schools' volleyball programs.
 
For more information on the War on I-4 Rivalry, visit https://www.war-on-i4.com.

 

 

Up Next

The Bulls will continue their road stretch with two matches next week, including their final non-conference opponent FIU on Tuesday, Oct. 22 followed by a trip to Cincinnati on Oct. 27. Both games will begin at 7 p.m. respectively. 

 

 

About USF Men’s Soccer

The Bulls concluded the 2017 regular season with a 6-6-4 overall record and finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference with a 3-2-2 mark. Head Coach Bob Butehorn leads the Bulls in his second season at the helm in 2018. Sophomore Adrian Bilhardt was added to the preseason all-conference team.

 

Follow the men’s soccer team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.

 

– #GoBulls –