By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, SEPT. 4, 2014 – The Bulls’ no-quit approach paid dividends in Thursday’s home opener at Corbett Stadium.

Senior and team captain Lucas Baldin scored twice and his final goal with 30 seconds remaining in the second overtime was the difference in a 2-1 victory over the No. 24 Akron.

“We believe in fighting, we believe in playing and we believe in putting our stamp on every game we play,” said Baldin after the Bulls improved to 1-1-0.

USF finished with a shot advantage for the second straight game after edging Akron by a 14-11 margin and the defense delivered a solid performance behind a three-save performance from Spasoje Stefanovic, who made a diving stop in the second overtime.

“Spasoje is a veteran when it comes to being in big matches and he knows he’s got to come up with one or two big saves a game and I think he did that,” head coach George Kiefer.

The Bulls set the tone by controlling the pace throughout much of the first half with plenty of opportunities to pull ahead. Goalkeeper Jake Fenlason turned away a penalty kick attempt by Edwin Moalosi less than 2 minutes in after Zips were called for a handball. Terry Delancy kept the pressure on less than 5 minutes in when his shot in the box just missed to the right.

USF had a 7-3 shot advantage in the first half and the sixth attempt belonged to Baldin, who beat Fenlason with a powerful strike in space from about 20 yards out. It marked the sixth career goal for Baldin, a Taubate, Brazil native, who missed all of last season with an injury.

“The guys were just going in hard pressing Akron, Akron is a great team, and I was just lucky enough to find one because of our pressure,” Baldin said. “The movements the guys did just left me all alone in there and I took a shot.”

Both teams managed five shots apiece in the second half a handball by the Bulls put Akron in a position to force overtime. Stuart Holthusen’s penalty kick goal tied the score up in in the 72^nd minute and the Bulls almost pulled back ahead in the 80^th minute when Graham Smith had a shot blocked at close range in the box.

USF’s effort level didn’t decline in extra time and the Bulls used their hard working approach to beat the clock in the second overtime. Akron failed to clear the ball out of the defensive half and Baldin found a loose ball in the box and provided the dramatics by beating a diving Fenlason in the 110^th minute.

“I definitely feel like we deserved the game with the amount of chances they created,” Kiefer said. “I thought their keeper on a few opportunities really did well, so I was pleased. I told my guys regardless of the result the effort, the work rate, the bench coming in, that’s the ingredients to win college soccer games.”

The Bulls wrap up a two-game home stand with a test against Portland on Sunday at noon back at Corbett Stadium. Portland is 1-0-2 after playing to a 0-0 tie against No. 26 Florida Gulf Coast University earlier Thursday night in Fort Myers. Purchase tickets to USF-Portland HERE.

The men’s soccer program has been one of the most successful teams on campus over the years, making it to seven straight NCAA tournaments and eight of the last nine. They return six starters and 17 letterwinners from last season’s American Athletic Conference Championship team. Head coach George Kiefer has also led the Bulls to two Elite Eight appearances and two conference titles in his 12 seasons as head coach. Purchase season and single-game tickets HERE.

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