Men’s Soccer Announces Nine Newcomers
TAMPA (August 2nd, 2023) – The University of South Florida’s men’s soccer head coach Bob Butehorn announced the addition of nine newcomers on Wednesday afternoon.
The nine incomers encompass five freshmen and four transfers, with each individual bringing in a wealth of playing experience.
Dagur Hafthorsson joins the Bulls all the way from Reykjavik, Iceland. Where the left-back played for Club FH in Hafnarfjordur. The incoming freshman also was a mainstay on the U16, U17, and U18 Icelandic National Teams.
Coach Butehorn on Dagur Hafthorsson: “Dagur is a versatile left-sided defender that can also play as a winger in several different formations. His versatility, composure, and overall playing pedigree will help us this season.”
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Velkominn (Welcome) to the family, Dagur ??????#HornsUp?? | #Bullieve pic.twitter.com/kIsfwdL8Qq
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 31, 2023
Pedro Faife comes to USF with playing experience from Inter Miami FC Academy and was a five-year captain for Intern Miami MLS Next and competed in four MLS NEXT Pro games while on Academy Contract.
Coach Butehorn on Pedro Faife: “Pedro is very mature for a young player. His ideas on the ball and quality of play in the midfield made him an attractive recruit. We are excited he has selected USF to continue his progress as a player.”
Tyler Richardson heads to the Tampa Bay area just up the road from Jacksonville, Fla. The striker brings expertise from playing with Jacksonville Armada FC, where he was a multiyear captain. The Incoming freshman received a player of the match nod in the 2022 MLS Next Cup All-Star game.
Coach Butehorn on Tyler Richardson: “Intelligent, competitive, versatile, and skillful: All words that describe Tyler Richardson’s game. His developmental trajectory is what sold us on him.”
From one coast to another, Tyler is a Bull??#HornsUp ?? pic.twitter.com/M5D0DTZ2vK
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 12, 2023
Davis Scharfeld joins the program from Windermere, Fla. The center-back brings experience from playing for both the Orlando City and Florida Rush squads and was also a four-time captain.
Coach Butehorn on Davis Scharfeld: “Davis is a smart competitive defender who has honed his skills overseas. We look forward to his development here at USF.”
Mikhail Keise heads to USF from Parkland, Fla. The defender played for Inter Miami CF Club under head coach Victor Pastora. The incoming freshman signed an Academy Contract with Inter Miami MLS Next Pro before signing with the Bulls.
Coach Butehorn on Mikhail Keise: “Mikhail is a highly talented prospect out of Inter Miami FC His athleticism, size, speed, and technique make him one of the top recruits in Florida.”
Welcome to the USF Family, Mikhail??#HornsUp ?? pic.twitter.com/v6Mf9GkUFa
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 12, 2023
Jalen Anderson joins the Bulls as a transfer from UNC Wilmington, where he spent four seasons. During the 2022 campaign with the Seahawks, Anderson was named to the All-Colonial Athletics Association Second Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Third Team. Anderson netted two game-winners on the season, and scored four goals across just as many straight contests against William & Mary, George Mason, Stony Brook and Campbell.
Coach Butehorn on Jalen Anderson: “Jalen is an exciting attacking player that fits our style of play perfectly. I am excited to see how he will flourish in our system.”
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Even more of a scoring punch coming to Corbett! ??#HornsUp?? | #Bullieve pic.twitter.com/4mymCqe3cq
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 31, 2023
Marco Astorga heads to South Florida as a transfer from Azusa Pacific. The El Paso, Texas native represented the Cougars for two years. This past season, Astorga started all 18 games and was named to the All-PacWest First-Team at the conclusion of the season.
Coach Butehorn on Marco Astorga: “Marco is a welcome addition to our already talented midfield. His acute field awareness and technical abilities will provide different tactical options throughout the season.”
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Welcome to the family, Marco????#HornsUp?? #Bullieve pic.twitter.com/XD9L8UGYTm
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) April 11, 2023
Richard Thompson joins the Bulls this fall as a transfer from Wilmington University. This past year, Thompson was named to the All-Cacc Second Team. His lone goal of the season came in a 2-1 victory at Millersville (Sept. 29).
Coach Butehorn on Richard Thompson: “Richard is an outstanding one-on-one defender we have been following for a couple of years. His ability to attack with speed, and creativity, and provide quality service makes him an outstanding candidate for our right-back position.”
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Welcome to Bulls Nation, Richard?? ????#HornsUp?? | #Bullieve pic.twitter.com/puj8pT9U3D
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 31, 2023
Max Wilkins rounds out the incoming class as the final transfer. The Bluffton, S.C. native played four years at Georgia State after redshirting his freshman season. Last season the forward started 11 of 16 matches and co-led the team in goals with seven, the sixth most in the Sun Belt.
Coach Butehorn on Max Wilkins: Max transferred to us in January and had a very productive spring season while adjusting to our system, scoring some good goals in the process. We expect him to continue to provide us with a dangerous target as a forward this upcoming season.”
When there’s a Wilkins, there’s a way!
Welcome to the Bay??#HornsUp ?? pic.twitter.com/okFXAVkv7L
— USF Men’s Soccer (@USFMSOC) January 12, 2023
The Bulls will open the 2023 campaign with three exhibition matches at Corbett Stadium, the first on Thurs., Aug. 10 vs. Southeastern. The 2023 season officially opens on Thurs., Aug. 24 when the Bulls travel to Washington. USF will play eight regular season matches at Corbett Stadium, the first on Fri., Sept. 1 vs. Mercer. The Bulls also welcome Indiana (Sept. 8), Clemson (Sept. 12), Elon (Sept. 17), SMU (Sept. 22), Charlotte (Oct. 8), UAB (Oct. 21) and FAU (Nov. 1) to Tampa.
Fans can purchase men’s soccer tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at Ticketmaster.
All of South Florida’s home regular season matches will once again be streamed live on the ESPN+ platform. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
Matches will also be broadcast live on USF Bulls Unlimited, with Darek Sharp on the call. Bulls Unlimited is available via the free Tune In app (search “Bulls Unlimited”) and provides static-free quality whether you’re listening on your streaming device, laptop or desktop.
About USF Men’s Soccer
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USF Men’s Soccer competed in the school’s first-ever intercollegiate athletic contest on Sept. 25, 1965, beating Florida Southern 4-3. Since then, the oldest program on campus has built a winning tradition, claiming 14 conference championships and making 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 3 trips to the elite eight.
The program also has a strong reputation within the professional game and boasts 30 MLS draft picks. Notable alumni include two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, USA 1994 World Cup star Roy Wegerle, and 2013 MLS Cup winner Dom Dwyer.
The Bulls have reached the NCAA Tournament 13 times over the past 21 seasons.
– #GoBulls –