The Hofstra Pride men’s soccer team will travel to Tampa, Florida to face the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The match is set to kick off on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.
The Pride currently holds a record of 14-3-3 and received an automatic bid to the tournament by winning the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title on Saturday, Nov. 12. This will be Hofstra’s seventh appearance in the NCAA tournament, with their best finish coming when they reached the third round in 2021. The Pride will enter the tournament on a seven-match unbeaten streak, with their last loss coming on Oct. 15, against Elon University during the regular season.
USF is an experienced team, making their 22nd trip to the NCAA tournament and fourth since 2015. The Bulls have reached the national quarterfinals on three occasions, with their most recent appearance coming in 2011. USF received one of 25 at-large bids to the tournament after finishing the season 8-6-4 and failing to win the American Athletic Conference championship. Their most recent result was a 2-0 loss to Florida International University in the conference title game on Sunday, Nov. 13.
South Florida is led by sophomore forward Oscar Resano, who leads the team with five goals in 15 matches this season. Resano has a history of scoring success at both the collegiate and professional level, after scoring 35 goals in 51 appearances for Mexican club Pumas. Junior midfielder Ajmeer Spengler is another key piece to USF’s attacking half, as he currently stands tied for the team lead in points with four goals and two assists this season. Goalkeeper Jackson Weyman has played every minute of every match this season, totaling four shutouts in 18 appearances.
Hofstra’s top goal scorer is sophomore Eliot Goldthorp, who currently ranks second nationally with 15 goals on the season. Joining him on the attack is 2022 CAA Player of the Year Ryan Carmichael, who sits second on the team in goals with 10. Junior forward Oliver Svalander has collected 21 points on the year, and he currently leads the team with seven assists. The Pride’s back line is led by goalkeeper Wessel Speel, who has managed seven clean sheets in 20 matches this season.
The winner of Thursday’s fixture will move on to face the top seeded University of Kentucky Wildcats in the second round. Kentucky has not lost a game all season, compiling a 14-0-5 record en route to a Sun Belt Conference championship.
Photo courtesy of Troy L. Sayles / Elon Athletics
