TAMPA (11/23/07) – The University of South Florida edged Colgate University, 2-1, in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at USF Soccer Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

 

Kevon Neaves sent a left footed cross into the box off of a short corner by USF, and with multiple attackers in the box, Yohance Marshall got to the ball and headed it into the netting at 71:58 in what would be the eventual game winner.

 

The Bulls started to apply the offensive pressure off the opening kick, and took six shots to the Raiders’ two in the half.

 

Three minutes in junior goalkeeper David Cappuccio (Pittsford, N.Y.) came way off his line to stop a Jordan Seabrook shot after he got by the defenders. Cappuccio stopped the shot but it bounced back out onto the field and USF had another chance to put one in on the open net, but the Raider defense ran back and sophomore Chris Koontz (Miller Place, N.Y.) was able to kick away the shot for a Colgate team save.

 

Colgate earned its first free kick five minutes in but after the ball was batted around inside the box, the Raiders couldn’t get a shot off as the Bulls cleared the ball down the field.

 

Colgate’s first chance on goal came off a long throw in by Koontz. After the ball pinballed around inside the box junior Matt Leach (New Canaan, Conn.) had a chance to put the ball on net but goalkeeper Diego Restrepo made the easy stop.

 

The game became well balanced with a lot of play in the midfield, but it was the Bulls that struck first.

 

Simon Schoendorf had the ball on the far flank, with the Colgate defense putting pressure on him, he crossed the ball in to Jason Devenish on the near side and Devenish fired a shot into the right corner pocket at 18:42 to give South Florida a 1-0 lead.

 

After Koontz was called for a yellow card 21 minutes in, Devenish had a free kick from 25 yards out. He lofted the ball into the box but Cappuccio was there to make the easy grab and settle the play with a goal kick.

 

Eric Anton had a header go wide of the net off of Colgate’s second corner kick at 19:30 and eight minutes later the Bulls’ earned a free kick from a dangerous position, setting up another chance to score. Freshman Steven Miller (Ivyland, Pa.) came off the wall and headed the ball out to center field. A USF defender picked up the ball and chipped a shot in that just cleared the cross bar. Second later Anton fed Chris Ross (Hurst, Texas) the ball from just outside the 18-yard box, but his shot went just over the cross bar for a goal kick.

 

Colgate got lucky with just over five minutes to play. Kevon Neaves blasted a shot that deflected and skimmed in on net. Cappuccio was able to push the ball outside the post with his fingertips to preserve the score. Neaves gave Cappuccio one final test when he sent a low rolling shot in off a set piece, but Cappuccio was able to scoop it up.

 

USF was called for three offsides in the first half which helped to keep the score at 1-0 as the Raiders were playing a heavily defensive game in the opening half.

 

The second half was a different story, as the Raiders were all over the ball and keeping the Bulls’ defenders on its toes. Colgate outshot USF, 8-3, in the final frame.

 

Ross had the first opportunity in the second half. His shot from 30 yards out was swiftly collected by the goalkeeper before any attackers could get in the box.

 

USF had back-to-back chances six minutes in. Fernando Gonzalez had a shot from the right side but Cappuccio came out of the net and blocked the shot out of bounds which resulted in a corner kick. The corner swung in towards the net and Cappuccio was there to make the leaping grab.

 

Glenn Volk (Lexington, Ky.) evened the game about 10 minutes into the second half, when he lofted the ball from the near side about 30 yards out. The ball floated over a defender and in on net. Goalkeeper Restrepo seemed surprised by the ball’s velocity and it slipped under his hands and into the far pocket at 53:01. The junior defender is scoring when it counts. He collected the game winner in the Patriot League Championship, a 1-0 victory over Lafayette.

 

The goal gave Colgate a spark and the field started to tilt in the Raiders favor. Ross and Daniel Kerley (Leawood, Kan.) both dribbled by multiple defenders on the way to the net, and Jimmy Stephens (Naperville, Ill.) nearly added to the score with just over 29 minutes to play.

 

Anton tried to set up Miller just two minutes later, when he swung the ball in off the side of the goal box to Miller out front, but his shot was blocked by a defender who ran on and was able to get out front.

 

USF sent a left footed ball in off a set piece that curved into the box and was batted around. Volk headed the ball towards the net intending for Cappuccio to come up with the ball and he did.

 

Miller put Restrepo on the ground when he rifled a shot that just went high of the goal past the diving keeper with just over 24 minutes to play. Just two minutes later, the Raiders nearly scored on a free kick from the end line. Sophomore Alex Weekes (Stroudsburg, Pa.) sent the ball in and Anton pushed the ball into the box. Leach got to it at the far post but couldn’t make the turn to put it on goal.

 

The Bulls almost put in a cross but the ball rolled wide past the attacker who fanned on the ball. It resulted in back-to-back corner kicks but USF couldn’t make anything happen. The Bulls got lucky with a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box after a slide by a Colgate player. The shot was stopped by the man-made wall and knocked out of play. The chances gave USF some confidence and they started to regain its offensive presence.

 

Colgate’s Stephens put the fans on their feet with just over 15 minutes to play, when he had a wide open chance at the net. Koontz ran the ball down the field and Restrepo came off his line to stop the shot but the ball skirted over the far side where Stephens got to it and blasted a shot at the net, but two Bull defenders got to the net and one of them blocked the shot out of bounds.

 

Anton had a breakaway chance with just over five minutes to play, but a linesman whistled an offsides, Colgate’s first of the contest.

 

The Raiders had multiple chances with less then two minutes to play, trying to tie up the game. With 1:28 left, Weekes took a free kick and sent the ball in from the near touchline and the ball was headed by Leach. The ball rang off the corner of the cross bar and the post and back out on the field. Kerley got the ball and tried a shot, and Anton tried to turn the ball and put it on goal but it went just wide.

 

The Raiders had another chance with 24 seconds to play when Volk had a free kick from the near touchline. The ball went in where Leach had a chance to sneak it in on the far side but the keeper was there to make the save while the whistle blew for a Colgate offsides.

 

"I thought it was a very exciting game," said Colgate head coach Erik Ronning. "I thought it was an equally played game. We missed a couple chances at the end to tie it up. I thought our guys deserved better but we played our hearts out and left everything on the field against a very good South Florida team."

 

Cappuccio finished the night with four saves, while Restrepo collected three. Colgate had a slight edge in shots 10-9, and each team had six corners apiece.

 

Colgate finishes its season 9-6-5 overall, winnings its third Patriot League title and making it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 41 years.