USF Soccer to Host New Mexico in Third Round of NCAA Tournament

Chris Blais and company need you to pack Corbett once more!

The soccer season continues after the Bulls came away with an overtime win over UCF on Sunday night. The Bulls, 13-3-3, battled and got the huge win in front of a crowd of over 3000 at Corbett Field. They will get a chance to advance to the next round but face a steep challenge with the Lobos of New Mexico coming to town (game is at 6PM - Fans, the game is free again! Everyone needs to pack Corbett, they need another huge crowd for this game!)

The Lobos beat Duke in overtime to advance to the next round. They are 18-0-3 on the season, ranked 1st in the country and are 6-0-2 away from home. They played in front of a crowd of near 6000 in the win over Duke, so they are use to large crowds and will be ready for this game. USF is 7-1 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season, but the Lobos are the toughest thus far.

New Mexico is led by junior forward/midfielder Blake Smith (5-10 150-pounds). He had 10 goals and 5 assists in the regular season and scored a goal against Duke in the last game. Junior forward Devon Sandoval (6-1 200-pounds) had 8 goals and 8 assists on the season, doing a little bit of everything for them.

Sophomore defender Kyle Venter (6-3 190-pounds) has 5 goals and 2 assists on the season. Freshman forward Carson Baldinger (6-1 170-pounds) has 5 goals and 2 assists. He also scored a goal against Duke. Senior midfielder Lance Rozeboom (6-1 170-pounds) has 3 goals and 2 assists. Senior forward/midfielder Michael Green (5-10 175-pounds) has 2 goals and 4 assists, setting up his teammates well.

Junior Victor Rodriguez (6-2 180-pounds) is the Lobos goalkeeper. He has allowed 11 goals all season, just .53 goals per game (unreal). He has also made 61 saves, locking down the net.

USF will have to dictate the pace of this game. UCF out shot USF last time and against a tough team like New Mexico, USF cannot play from behind. Leston Paul was aggressive in the last game and has to continue to attack. Dwyer was held in check, but as the best goal scorer on the team, he has to get open and create in the box.

Once again, tickets are free to the game. Over 3000 people packed Corbett in the last game and more should attend this game. We encourage everyone to get to the stadium and cheer the men on!