One of this year's hot picks for men's national champions is USF. Not the University of San Francisco but the University of South Florida. The Bulls travel to South Bend, Ind., to face No. 3 Indiana and No. 13 Notre Dame at the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament, where their reputation has preceded them.

"If you let them get into rhythm," says Indiana's Mike Freitag, "they will carve you up."

George Kiefer's attack includes senior Jordan Seabrook, who has the second fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles in school history, and Zak Boggs, who transferred from UCF, where he scored 10 goals in two seasons. Seabrook, Boggs and Venezuelan Bernardo Anor each scored in the 3-0 victory against Bowling Green in the Bulls' opener.

"They're very athletic," adds Notre Dame's Bobby Clark, "and have a great Caribbean flavor about them."

Four starters hail from Trinidad & Tobago, including Yohance Marshall, one of college soccer's top defenders.

USF's proximity to the U.S. U-17 residency program in Bradenton has helped it land several U-17 grads, including goalie Diego Restrepo and defender Aubrey Perry.

(Bundesliga teen sensation Neven Subotic was supposed to attend USF before he moved to Germany.)


LAST-MINUTE HELP. Former U.S. U-17 keeper Bryant Rueckner's decision to leave UCSB after one season as a starter -- he is now in the FC Dallas camp -- left the Gauchos scrambling to find a keeper for the 2008 season.

They got help from 6-foot-4 Norwegian Trond Helge Takset, who contacted the UCSB staff about playing for the Gauchos and had already arrived in Santa Barbara when he received its response via e-mail.

Takset was in goal for UCSB when they beat Air Force, 2-1, on opening day. He should again be in the nets when UCSB hosts Kentucky Friday on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m. PT (11 p.m. ET).

CORRECTION.  ETSU, a new men's program, is the fourth Division I men's program in Tennessee. Memphis, Lipscomb and Belmont are the others. great deal of confidence."