USF Athletics

USF Picked Third in American Preseason Poll

August 15, 2017

TAMPA, Aug. 15, 2017 – The University of South Florida was picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll, the league announced Tuesday.  Senior midfielder Ricardo Gomez landed a spot on the preseason all-conference team.
 
USF received two first-place votes (34 points) and ranked behind conference favorite UConn, which earned four first-place votes (45 points) and defending tournament champion Tulsa (43 points, one first place vote). The Bulls were the league's regular season champions in 2016 with a record of 6-1 in The American.
 
Gomez (Gainesville, Ga.) was one of 14 members on the preseason all-conference team and one of four midfielders to make the list. Gomez heads into his second season with the Bulls after turning in five points and five assists in 2016.
 
The Bulls host Eckerd Tuesday at 7 p.m. in their first exhibition of the season. USF starts the regular season with a home test against Lipscomb on Monday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.
 
Preseason Coaches' Poll
Place School Points (1st Place Votes)
1. UConn 45 (4)
2. Tulsa 43 (1)
3. USF 34 (2)
4. UCF 29
5. SMU 27 (1)
6. Temple 20
7. Cincinnati 18
8. Memphis 8
 
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Matias Pyysalo, UCF
 
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Patrick Nielsen, Cincinnati
 
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Michael Nelson, SMU*
 
Preseason All-Conference Team
GK – Michael Nelson, SMU*
B – Patrick Nielsen, Cincinnati*
B – Jacob Hauser-Ramsey, UConn
B – Dylan Greenberg, UConn
B – Jordan Cano, SMU
B – Zack Stavrou, Tulsa
M – Matias Pyysalo, UCF
M – Jackson Morse, Memphis
M – Ricardo Gomez, USF
M – Mauro Cichero, SMU*
F – Abdou Mbacke Thiam, UConn*
F – Garrett McLaughlin, SMU
F – Joonas Jokinen, Temple
F – Juan Sanchez, Tulsa*
 
[*] Denotes unanimous selection
Ties are not broken
 
On Dec. 18 Bob Butehorn was appointed the head coach the USF men's soccer program. A member of the University of Tampa's 1981 national championship team and a three-time conference coach of the year, Butehorn previously led Florida Gulf Coast University's men's soccer program to six conference regular season championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and Top 25 rankings in five seasons since 2010.
 
The Bulls concluded the season as The American regular season champions and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulls finished the season with a 10-6-4 overall record and a 6-1-0 mark in the American Athletic Conference.
 
Follow the men's soccer team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
 
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