Bulls Defeat No. 9 Ohio State, 2-1

TAMPA (Sept. 16, 2010) – The University of South Florida men’s soccer team had its three-match shutout streak snapped this afternoon, however, that was a small price to pay for the Bulls as USF handed No. 9 Ohio State its first loss of the season, 2-1, this afternoon at the Embassy Suites Kickoff Classic at Florida Gulf Coast University. The Bulls did extend their winning streak to three matches while improving their record to 3-1-1.

USF struck quickly on just its second shot of the game – and even before the Buckeyes got a shot off – when Shawn Chin put the ball in the upper left corner of the goal from the top corner of the 18-yard box and giving USF a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of play.

Ohio State (4-1-0) would regroup after the Bulls’ quick hit and got on the board when Chris Hegngi took a rebound off the post from a missed Omar Vallejo shot and put it past USF goalkeeper Jeff Attinella in the 18th minute of the game. The goal would be the first scored against the Bulls since the season opener against Florida Gulf Coast on Sept. 1. That stretch was a span of 318 straight minutes without giving up a goal.

Bernardo Anor would give the Bulls the lead for good netting his first game winner of the season, and beating Ohio State’s keeper, Matt Lampson, in the 82nd minute.

USF would lock up the Buckeyes defensively in the last eight minutes only allowing one shot.

Attinella, a Hermann Trophy candidate for National Player of the Year, had three saves in the win.

The Bulls will now face Drexel University on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. in their final match of the two-day event. USF will close out its three-match road stretch on Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. when it travels to Storrs, Conn to face Connecticut in both schools’ BIG EAST opener. The match with the Huskies will be televised live on ESPNU.