Men's Soccer Looks to Extend Unbeaten Streak to Three at USF Friday

PHILADELPHIA -- The Temple University men's soccer squad (4-5-3, 1-1-1) looks to extend their unbeaten streak to three as they head to USF (4-5-2, 1-0-2) on Friday, Oct. 12th to face the AAC-unbeaten Bulls. The American Athletic Conference match-up is set to kickoff at 7:00 p.m. at Corbett Soccer Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

Last Time Out
> The Owls are coming off of a program record-tying fifth overtime battle of the season, ending the AAC match-up against a challenging Memphis squad in a 110 minute 1-1 draw. The Owls were able to capitalize on momentum in the 23rd minute of play, when junior Lukas Fernandes drove forward on a counter attack opportunity. He split a tough Tiger back line to lead a charging Jalen Campbell, who darted in behind to take a one-time shot, burying it past the Memphis goalie. The Tigers responded in the 60th minute, when the left goalpost thwarted an initial shot, but Edgar Alaniz was able to put away the deflection and even the score.

Scouting the Owls
> Temple has not lost a match by more than a one-goal deficit all season, and has barred their opponents from scoring more than once in 11 of their 12 matches. The only time an opponent has notched more than one goal against the Owls was in their 2-1 double-overtime loss to Princeton on Sept.12th.
> Fernandes earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll for his outstanding efforts on the pitch last week, helping the Owls to a 3-1 victory over NJIT and a 1-1 tie against Memphis. This marks the second time he has been recognized by the conference this season, after being named AAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24th. He plays a pivotal role in the Temple offense, leading the team in total points (11), goals (4) and assists (3). His five point week from one goal and three assists is good for season-high across the board for Temple.
> Campbell follows Fernandes on the scoresheet with six points on the season, coming from two goals and two assists. The Brampton, Ontario native has started and played all 12 matches for the Cherry and White this season, and notably notched the game winner in Temple's 1-0 overtime win at Rider on Sept. 5th.
> Junior Simon Lefebvre continues to anchor the Cherry and White in net, thwarting 33 shots for a save percentage of .786 in 920:38 minutes of action, good for the second best in the AAC. Temple's goals against average of 0.80 leads the American, and their 10 goals against puts them second in the conference behind UConn.

Scouting USF
> USF enters the match coming off of a 1-1 tie on the road against conference rival SMU. They remain undefeated in AAC play, after also tying top-ranked UConn (2-2) and defeating Tulsa, 3-2, in double overtime.
> USF boasts a widespread offense, with 13 different players contributing at least one point so far this season. At the top of the scoresheet is Alex Zis, who has accumulated 11 points from three goals and five assists for the Bulls. Trailing him is Tomasz Skublak with 10 points from his team-leading five goals this season.
> The squad ranks second in the conference in total points (51) and goals (18), while Zis' five assists ties him for second and Skublak's five goals is good for the third most in the American.
> Harrison Devenish-Meares anchors the Bulls in net, saving a conference-high 48 shots during his 997:05 minutes between the posts this season. He has earned a save percentage of .750, allowing an average of 1.44 goals per game.

Over the Years
> The Owls trail USF all-time in the series with a record of 1-4-1. The lone win for Temple came in 2017, when they defeated the Bulls 1-0 on senior day at the Temple Sports Complex. This victory was key for the Owls last season, as it allowed them to advance into the American Athletic Conference semifinal match for the first time since 2015.

USF Connections
> There is a bit of familiarity with the Bulls on the Temple coaching staff, as assistant coach Armante' Marshall graduated from USF in 2010. Marshall was a member of the '07 USF men's soccer team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, and was a key contributor for the '08 Big East Championship team that advanced to the Elite Eight. He was also an All-Big East Team selection from 2008-10 for the USF track and field team, and later coached his alma mater for a four-year stint that included three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two conference titles (2011 and 2013).

Men's Soccer Looks to Extend Unbeaten Streak to Three at USF Friday

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Players Mentioned

Jalen Campbell

Lukas Fernandes

Simon Lefebvre

Temple University Athletics