USF advances to title game

11/14/08

 TAMPA, FLA. – USF used two second-half goals in a 2-1 defeat of Notre Dame, the top seed in the BIG EAST Blue Division, to advance to the title game of the BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship in a semifinal matchup at the USF Soccer/Track Stadium on the campus of the University of South Florida on Nov. 14. Serving as host for the championship, USF, the No. 2 seed in the Red Division, Francisco Aristrguieta notched both goals in a 12:42 time span. USF (13-4-2) will play in the title game for the second time since joining the BIG EAST in 2005.



Notre Dame (12-6-2) got on the board first, scoring at the 18:18 mark of the first half. Sophomore midfielder Jeb Brovsky played a pass forward to senior forward Bright Dike, who from 15-yards out hammered home a shot into the lower right corner.



Aristeguieta’s goals were his first two of the season. After a pass from junior forward Zak Boggs that split a pair of Notre Dame defenders, Aristeguieta was left with just the goalkeeper to beat, as he slid the ball into the lower left corner of the net just out of the reach of Notre Dame keeper Philip Tuttle’s hand at the 68:51 mark.



Aristeguieta then scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. After the ball deflected off a Notre Dame defender, he dribbled up the middle of the field and fired a shot toward the far post, sending it into the far corner of the net.



Tuttle made two saves for the Irish, while USF’s Jeff Attinella made one stop. Notre Dame held the slight 12-10 advantage in shots.



Sunday’s title game will be broadcast live online via www.BIGEAST.tv as well as numerous regional sports networks including CBS College Sports (CBS C), SportsNet New York, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Time Warner Cable Sports 32 (Wisconsin), Cox Sports Television (New England), Bright House Sports Network (Tampa), WV PBS (West Virginia), Cox Sports Television (La., Texas, Fla.). The game will also be shown tape delayed on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia (same day delay, 1:00 p.m.), Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) (same day delay, 7 p.m.), CSS Comcast Charter Sports Southeast (delay, Nov. 19, 2:00 p.m.) and FSN Pittsburgh (delay, Nov. 29, 4:30 p.m.).