Running back Moise Plancher and offensive lineman Samson Genus were wearing protective boots at Thursday’s practice and may not be able to play in Saturday’s game against Elon.
Both players were expected to contribute heavily to the Bulls’ offensive efforts.
Plancher is coming off a torn ACL, which he suffered in last season’s home opener against McNeese State.
Genus was one of about five freshmen coach Jim Leavitt said “is going to play a lot of football for us this year.”
Check back after practice for a full update.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Baseball player transfers to St. Leo
Last year’s leader in home runs and RBI for the USF baseball team will not be taking the field for the Bulls next season.
Senior first-baseman Brandin Daniel has transferred to St. Leo University and will be playing for coach Ricky Ware when the season starts next spring.
According to USF coach Lelo Prado, Daniel had been contemplating the move for some time and didn’t specify any reasons for wanting a transfer.
“I think he just wanted a fresh start,” Prado said. “He didn’t know if he wanted to come back and we sat down and talked and he decided to move on. If he would have decided to come back he would have had a place on the team.”
A major part of the lineup last season, Daniel started 58 games for the Bulls and led the team in home runs (7) and RBI (45). His .995 fielding percentage last year was the highest of any USF player with at least 40 starts.
While he admits the loss of Daniel is significant, Prado said he understands the senior’s desire for a change and wishes him luck at his new school.
“He’s definitely a big hole in the lineup because he did lead our team in home runs but you have to want to be here,” Prado said. “He wanted to move on and I wish him nothing but the best.”
- Eric Moeller
Senior first-baseman Brandin Daniel has transferred to St. Leo University and will be playing for coach Ricky Ware when the season starts next spring.
According to USF coach Lelo Prado, Daniel had been contemplating the move for some time and didn’t specify any reasons for wanting a transfer.
“I think he just wanted a fresh start,” Prado said. “He didn’t know if he wanted to come back and we sat down and talked and he decided to move on. If he would have decided to come back he would have had a place on the team.”
A major part of the lineup last season, Daniel started 58 games for the Bulls and led the team in home runs (7) and RBI (45). His .995 fielding percentage last year was the highest of any USF player with at least 40 starts.
While he admits the loss of Daniel is significant, Prado said he understands the senior’s desire for a change and wishes him luck at his new school.
“He’s definitely a big hole in the lineup because he did lead our team in home runs but you have to want to be here,” Prado said. “He wanted to move on and I wish him nothing but the best.”
- Eric Moeller
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Men's Soccer shuts out St. Louis
It was a busy night for USF goal keeper Diego Restrepo in the Bulls 2-0 win over Saint Louis as the team collected its second shutout of the preseason.
SLU only managed two shots on goal, but the Billikens' attack was a steady onslaught of blown set piece opportunities and crosses that found the heads of USF defenders.
"It got frustrating cause we were committing fouls close to the box," Restrepo said. "But, that's something that will fix itself with time and experience as the season goes on."
The main focus in the team's practices thus far has been on defense.
"We've been working on defending and the transition to the attack," coach George Kiefer said. "When we won balls we were looking to get behind their defenders and I think our pace gave them problems but we didn't find a good balance for possession and counter attack."
Saint Louis controlled the ball early but were unable to create any opportunities for a shot on goal. In the 24th minute, the Bulls counter attack mounted enough pressure to score a goal when a blown clearance by the SLU goal keeper fell in front of sophomore mid-fielder Jason Devenish who finished it off easily.
Their 1-0 lead seemed in danger at times as Saint Louis, ranked No. 25 in the pre-season poll, continued to dominate possession throughout the first half. The Bulls had trouble getting a sufficient amount of men forward in support of the attack and as result spent a lot of time defending their own half of the field.
It looked like the Bulls were going to carry a slim one goal lead into the half until the 45th minute when they were able to organize their best counter attack effort of the night. Mid-fielder Marshall Schulz delivered a pass to Alejandro Taylor that drew the goal keeper off his line. Taylor successfully controlled the ball and scored easily with the keeper out of position.
The Bulls defense was tested more in the second half as the number of Saint Louis opportunities mounted but never resulted in a goal.
"I think we did what we wanted to do," forward Jordan Seabrook said. "Defense is an area of focus for us. We want adversity in the preseason so we can learn how to get through it together and overcome it during the regular season the way we did today."
Set piece opportunities were abundant for the Saint Louis attack. When the final whistle blew SLU had outnumbered USF 10-2 in corner kicks alone.
"That's where a lot of goals come from in this game," Kiefer said. "It's a concern going forward. You can't give teams like that the amount of corners and dead balls that we gave them tonight."
Kiefer was pleased with the way Restrepo was able to handle the pressure that free kicks and corners can create.
"Diego does a good job of organizing the blocks and pushing guys together," Kiefer said. "They got behind our defenders a few times though, and we want to be able to get out of games without teams getting a good look at the goal."
Despite the lack of possession and tendency to give the opposition chances there were positives other than winning for the Bulls as they head to Virginia this Saturday.
"The first positive is we kept a clean sheet," Kiefer said. "Of course the two goals, and I think we we're seeing our depth. We used a lot of players and we're seeing that some of our subs could be on our first team."
The Bulls depth will get better as they still have another player who has yet to join the team and a few who have been nursing injuries.
"We're missing some key guys that help us move the ball right now," Kiefer said. "I feel encouraged about where we're going when you consider that."
-David Rice
SLU only managed two shots on goal, but the Billikens' attack was a steady onslaught of blown set piece opportunities and crosses that found the heads of USF defenders.
"It got frustrating cause we were committing fouls close to the box," Restrepo said. "But, that's something that will fix itself with time and experience as the season goes on."
The main focus in the team's practices thus far has been on defense.
"We've been working on defending and the transition to the attack," coach George Kiefer said. "When we won balls we were looking to get behind their defenders and I think our pace gave them problems but we didn't find a good balance for possession and counter attack."
Saint Louis controlled the ball early but were unable to create any opportunities for a shot on goal. In the 24th minute, the Bulls counter attack mounted enough pressure to score a goal when a blown clearance by the SLU goal keeper fell in front of sophomore mid-fielder Jason Devenish who finished it off easily.
Their 1-0 lead seemed in danger at times as Saint Louis, ranked No. 25 in the pre-season poll, continued to dominate possession throughout the first half. The Bulls had trouble getting a sufficient amount of men forward in support of the attack and as result spent a lot of time defending their own half of the field.
It looked like the Bulls were going to carry a slim one goal lead into the half until the 45th minute when they were able to organize their best counter attack effort of the night. Mid-fielder Marshall Schulz delivered a pass to Alejandro Taylor that drew the goal keeper off his line. Taylor successfully controlled the ball and scored easily with the keeper out of position.
The Bulls defense was tested more in the second half as the number of Saint Louis opportunities mounted but never resulted in a goal.
"I think we did what we wanted to do," forward Jordan Seabrook said. "Defense is an area of focus for us. We want adversity in the preseason so we can learn how to get through it together and overcome it during the regular season the way we did today."
Set piece opportunities were abundant for the Saint Louis attack. When the final whistle blew SLU had outnumbered USF 10-2 in corner kicks alone.
"That's where a lot of goals come from in this game," Kiefer said. "It's a concern going forward. You can't give teams like that the amount of corners and dead balls that we gave them tonight."
Kiefer was pleased with the way Restrepo was able to handle the pressure that free kicks and corners can create.
"Diego does a good job of organizing the blocks and pushing guys together," Kiefer said. "They got behind our defenders a few times though, and we want to be able to get out of games without teams getting a good look at the goal."
Despite the lack of possession and tendency to give the opposition chances there were positives other than winning for the Bulls as they head to Virginia this Saturday.
"The first positive is we kept a clean sheet," Kiefer said. "Of course the two goals, and I think we we're seeing our depth. We used a lot of players and we're seeing that some of our subs could be on our first team."
The Bulls depth will get better as they still have another player who has yet to join the team and a few who have been nursing injuries.
"We're missing some key guys that help us move the ball right now," Kiefer said. "I feel encouraged about where we're going when you consider that."
-David Rice
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
USF sports videos now online
As Online content is becoming a major part of media outlets around the world, we're trying to keep pace here at The Oracle.
We're starting a new program this semester, which will include video interviews for news and sports and highlights of all the big games.
Today we posted three interviews, all sports related:
-Sophomore Nate Allen talking about his transition from QB to DB.
-New women's soccer coach Denise Schilte-Brown talking about what lies ahead as she gets ready for her USF debut.
-Sixth-year men's soccer coach George Kiefer talking about this year's team with 13 new players.
We'll have more videos when school starts next week, including plenty of football coverage.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for things you'd like to see, drop me an email: oraclesmetana@yahoo.com
-Kevin Smetana
We're starting a new program this semester, which will include video interviews for news and sports and highlights of all the big games.
Today we posted three interviews, all sports related:
-Sophomore Nate Allen talking about his transition from QB to DB.
-New women's soccer coach Denise Schilte-Brown talking about what lies ahead as she gets ready for her USF debut.
-Sixth-year men's soccer coach George Kiefer talking about this year's team with 13 new players.
We'll have more videos when school starts next week, including plenty of football coverage.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for things you'd like to see, drop me an email: oraclesmetana@yahoo.com
-Kevin Smetana
Grothe on ESPN.com
Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe graced the homepage of ESPN.com Wednesday along with Rutgers running back Ray Rice, Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm and West Virginia running back Steve Slaton. What's funny is even though Grothe is pictured, Ivan Maisel's story failed to mention the USF quarterback among his Big East Heisman hopefuls saying, "Take the Heisman candidates: tailbacks Steve Slaton of West Virginia and Ray Rice of Rutgers, and quarterbacks Pat White of West Virginia and Brian Brohm of Louisville. Most league offices are careful not to promote one member's players over another."
The caption on the front page lists Grothe as a potential Heisman candidate.
After suffering a hip injury earlier in the week, the USF coaching staff says the sophomore listed as "day-to-day" but would be expected to play if it were a game day.
Keep checking into the Oracle Sports Blog for more information about the Bulls.
-Brendan Galella
The caption on the front page lists Grothe as a potential Heisman candidate.
After suffering a hip injury earlier in the week, the USF coaching staff says the sophomore listed as "day-to-day" but would be expected to play if it were a game day.
Keep checking into the Oracle Sports Blog for more information about the Bulls.
-Brendan Galella
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Women's soccer team defeats UT 1-0 in season opener
The USF women’s soccer team defeated the University of Tampa 1-0 in its season opener Saturday. Junior Lindsey Brauer scored the game’s only goal in the 48th minute of the Bulls’ exhibition match against the Spartans.
The contest was played in three 30-minute periods. However, because of a 30-minute rain delay, the third period was cut to 10 minutes.
The Bulls got their first scoring chance 20 minutes into the first period on a through ball by Brauer to freshman Alyshia Currey. Currey was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
The Bulls faced a scare with less than four minutes remaining in the first period when sophomore goalie Mallori Lofton-Malachi saved a Tampa shot, but couldn’t control the rebound, which gave Tampa a wide-open shot on the Bulls net. However, midfielder Annalea Crowe blocked the Tampa shot.
Tampa found the back of the net midway through the second period, but the goal was called off because the Tampa player was offsides.
Minutes after sophomore midfielder Kaneile Thomas returned to the game she split two defenders with her pass into the box for Brauer. Brauer took a couple of touches then sent the ball to the far corner of the net.
The game finished with a scoreless 10-minute third period.
Freshmen Pasquale Anderson, Angelique Waller, Ali Shaw and Currey, all made their collegiate debuts in the exhibition game.
“Soccer’s what I like and it just came to me,” said Anderson of her first college game.
Although head coach Denise Schilte-Brown wants the team to improve in all aspects of the game, the first-year head coach was positive after the game.
“I’m happy we won,” said Schilte-Brown. “I think by the end of the game we accomplished the goals that we set out for the game.”
- Jenn Misiewicz
The contest was played in three 30-minute periods. However, because of a 30-minute rain delay, the third period was cut to 10 minutes.
The Bulls got their first scoring chance 20 minutes into the first period on a through ball by Brauer to freshman Alyshia Currey. Currey was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
The Bulls faced a scare with less than four minutes remaining in the first period when sophomore goalie Mallori Lofton-Malachi saved a Tampa shot, but couldn’t control the rebound, which gave Tampa a wide-open shot on the Bulls net. However, midfielder Annalea Crowe blocked the Tampa shot.
Tampa found the back of the net midway through the second period, but the goal was called off because the Tampa player was offsides.
Minutes after sophomore midfielder Kaneile Thomas returned to the game she split two defenders with her pass into the box for Brauer. Brauer took a couple of touches then sent the ball to the far corner of the net.
The game finished with a scoreless 10-minute third period.
Freshmen Pasquale Anderson, Angelique Waller, Ali Shaw and Currey, all made their collegiate debuts in the exhibition game.
“Soccer’s what I like and it just came to me,” said Anderson of her first college game.
Although head coach Denise Schilte-Brown wants the team to improve in all aspects of the game, the first-year head coach was positive after the game.
“I’m happy we won,” said Schilte-Brown. “I think by the end of the game we accomplished the goals that we set out for the game.”
- Jenn Misiewicz
USF Season Predictions
In early June I received an email from the website SportsProjections.com asking for a brief overview of the USF football team and how game-by-game predictions on how they will fare.
Here is a link to the website, but only Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Big 10 have been filled out.
Sports Projections
Here's the what the USF page will look like upon publication:
Contributor: Brendan Galella
Web address: www.usforacle.com
Last Year Record: 9-4 (4-3 Big East)
Last Year Summary: Quarterback Matt Grothe emerged as USF’s primary offensive weapon both through the air and on the ground. USF ranked second in the Big East in total defense, allowing only 298.5 yards per game and 20 touchdowns on the year. The Bulls season culminated with the programs first bowl victory, a 24-7 victory over East Carolina in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.
Returning Starters: 8 offensive, 7 defensive
Players to Watch This Season: QB Matt Grothe, RB Mike Ford, WR Amarri Jackson LB Ben Moffitt, CB Trae Williams CB Mike Jenkins
Offensive Strengths: Quarterback- signal caller Matt Grothe led the Big East with 3,198 yards from scrimmage last season.
Offensive Weaknesses: Wide receiver- remains an issue for the Bulls. Ean Randolph graduated and senior Amp Hill has transferred.
Defensive Strengths: Secondary- cornerback Mike Jenkins has proven to be the shut down corner on the team and fellow corner Trae Williams was tested often last season, and tied for fifth in the country with seven interceptions.
Defensive Weaknesses: Linebacker- After the departure Stephen Nicholas and Patrick St. Louis, Ben Moffitt is the only starter returning. Chris Robinson, Brouce Mompremier and Iowa State transfer Tyrone McKenzie will all try and fill the voids.
2007 Season Summary: The Bulls have alternated wins with Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia since joining the Big East Conference two seasons ago. USF will likely contend for the conference crown and have a legitimate chance of winning the Big East as they play host to both the Mountaineers and Cardinals. USF has to be cautious of an in-conference let down game, as their loss to Cincinnati last season ruined any aspirations of playing in a BCS Bowl.
Big Games of the Year: Sept. 28 vs. West Virginia, Oct. 18 at Rutgers & Nov. 17 vs. Louisville
2007 Projected Record: 9-3 (5-2 Big East)
2007 Projected Bowl (if applicable): Texas Bowl
Schedule
Sept. 1- Elon (W)
Sept. 8- at Auburn (L)
Sept. 22- North Carolina (W)
Sept. 28- West Virginia (W)
Oct. 6- at Florida Atlantic (W)
Oct. 13- UCF (W)
Oct. 18- at Rutgers (L)
Oct. 27- at Connecticut (W)
Nov. 3- Cincinnati (W)
Nov. 10-at Syracuse (W)
Nov. 17- Louisville (L)
Nov. 24- at Pittsburgh (W)
Big East Conference Standings Projection
1. Louisville
2. West Virginia
3. South Florida
4. Rutgers
5. Cincinnati
6. Pittsburgh
7. Connecticut
8. Syracuse
Here is a link to the website, but only Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Big 10 have been filled out.
Sports Projections
Here's the what the USF page will look like upon publication:
Contributor: Brendan Galella
Web address: www.usforacle.com
Last Year Record: 9-4 (4-3 Big East)
Last Year Summary: Quarterback Matt Grothe emerged as USF’s primary offensive weapon both through the air and on the ground. USF ranked second in the Big East in total defense, allowing only 298.5 yards per game and 20 touchdowns on the year. The Bulls season culminated with the programs first bowl victory, a 24-7 victory over East Carolina in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.
Returning Starters: 8 offensive, 7 defensive
Players to Watch This Season: QB Matt Grothe, RB Mike Ford, WR Amarri Jackson LB Ben Moffitt, CB Trae Williams CB Mike Jenkins
Offensive Strengths: Quarterback- signal caller Matt Grothe led the Big East with 3,198 yards from scrimmage last season.
Offensive Weaknesses: Wide receiver- remains an issue for the Bulls. Ean Randolph graduated and senior Amp Hill has transferred.
Defensive Strengths: Secondary- cornerback Mike Jenkins has proven to be the shut down corner on the team and fellow corner Trae Williams was tested often last season, and tied for fifth in the country with seven interceptions.
Defensive Weaknesses: Linebacker- After the departure Stephen Nicholas and Patrick St. Louis, Ben Moffitt is the only starter returning. Chris Robinson, Brouce Mompremier and Iowa State transfer Tyrone McKenzie will all try and fill the voids.
2007 Season Summary: The Bulls have alternated wins with Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia since joining the Big East Conference two seasons ago. USF will likely contend for the conference crown and have a legitimate chance of winning the Big East as they play host to both the Mountaineers and Cardinals. USF has to be cautious of an in-conference let down game, as their loss to Cincinnati last season ruined any aspirations of playing in a BCS Bowl.
Big Games of the Year: Sept. 28 vs. West Virginia, Oct. 18 at Rutgers & Nov. 17 vs. Louisville
2007 Projected Record: 9-3 (5-2 Big East)
2007 Projected Bowl (if applicable): Texas Bowl
Schedule
Sept. 1- Elon (W)
Sept. 8- at Auburn (L)
Sept. 22- North Carolina (W)
Sept. 28- West Virginia (W)
Oct. 6- at Florida Atlantic (W)
Oct. 13- UCF (W)
Oct. 18- at Rutgers (L)
Oct. 27- at Connecticut (W)
Nov. 3- Cincinnati (W)
Nov. 10-at Syracuse (W)
Nov. 17- Louisville (L)
Nov. 24- at Pittsburgh (W)
Big East Conference Standings Projection
1. Louisville
2. West Virginia
3. South Florida
4. Rutgers
5. Cincinnati
6. Pittsburgh
7. Connecticut
8. Syracuse
Monday, August 20, 2007
8/20 football practice update
The USF football team had a small scare Monday afternoon.
As the Bulls' afternoon practice came to a close, sophomore quarterback Matt Grothe could be seen limping off the field with a bag of ice tied around his upper leg. When asked about the injury, offensive coordinator Greg Gregory was quick to dismiss it as not very serious.
"(Grothe's) fine," offensive coordinator Greg Gregory said. "He just needed some ice on his groing. That was nothing."
Gregory confirmed that, despite the injury, Grothe participated in the entire practice Monday and is expected to suit up when the Bulls take the field again Tuesday morning.
-Eric Moeller
As the Bulls' afternoon practice came to a close, sophomore quarterback Matt Grothe could be seen limping off the field with a bag of ice tied around his upper leg. When asked about the injury, offensive coordinator Greg Gregory was quick to dismiss it as not very serious.
"(Grothe's) fine," offensive coordinator Greg Gregory said. "He just needed some ice on his groing. That was nothing."
Gregory confirmed that, despite the injury, Grothe participated in the entire practice Monday and is expected to suit up when the Bulls take the field again Tuesday morning.
-Eric Moeller
Men's soccer cruises past University of Tampa
The soccer team's pre-season got off to an encouraging start with a 2-0 victory over the University of Tampa in the cross town rivalry known as the Rowdies Cup.
The Bulls improved their record to 11-7-2 all-time in the series against the Spartans and were able to get a first look at eight of the 14 new players coach Kiefer brought in this off-season.
"Tonight was good cause we got to play a lot of guys and nobody got injured," Kiefer said. "We've been working on defending for the last three days and we were able to get a shutout, so there are a lot of positives to draw from it."
The match, which was played in three 30 minute periods instead of the traditional 45 minute halves, was a good way for the coaches to measure their team's fitness levels early on.
"We got a long way to go in a lot of areas and fitness is one them," Kiefer said. "In fairness to the players though, we've been going twice a day for the last three days in the 95 degree heat, so I'm sure their legs we're heavy."
That sentiment was echoed by the players after the match.
"My whole body is tired right now," team captain Yohance Marshall said. "Overall though, I think our fitness is pretty good for this point in the season."
In the first period of play the Bulls were able to control the ball better than they would for the rest of the match. In the 20th minute, junior mid-fielder Kevon Neaves struck a line drive from outside the 18 yard box that ricocheted off the post and into the back of the net to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
USF would strike again before the end of the period after Neaves made a good run weaving in and out of defenders. He passed the ball out wide to a streaking Jordan Seabrook who had assisted him on the first goal. This time, Seabrook launched a cross that found the foot of senior forward Simon Schoendorf for the second Bulls goal.
"We have a lot of offensive minded players," Seabrook said. "We've been working mostly on defense thus far so I'm happy with the way everything flowed tonight."
The second and third periods saw less action as the number of shots on goal diminished along with the time of controlled possession. The Bulls had a lot of set piece opportunities off of free kicks in the second period but were unable to capitalize on anything. The final period was more of the same as both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball.
"We haven't spent a minute on the attack (in practice) but we were still able to get two good goals which is nice," Kiefer said. "But no doubt about it, the main priority is how we handle and possess the ball and I feel like we didn't take care of the ball well enough tonight."
In the end the Bulls out shot the Spartans 9-1. An encouraging sign as they move forward on the training grounds toward a season of high hopes for USF offensively.
"This was a training session for us," Kiefer said. "We just have to keep working on it. We're back out there tomorrow morning at nine."
-David Rice
The Bulls improved their record to 11-7-2 all-time in the series against the Spartans and were able to get a first look at eight of the 14 new players coach Kiefer brought in this off-season.
"Tonight was good cause we got to play a lot of guys and nobody got injured," Kiefer said. "We've been working on defending for the last three days and we were able to get a shutout, so there are a lot of positives to draw from it."
The match, which was played in three 30 minute periods instead of the traditional 45 minute halves, was a good way for the coaches to measure their team's fitness levels early on.
"We got a long way to go in a lot of areas and fitness is one them," Kiefer said. "In fairness to the players though, we've been going twice a day for the last three days in the 95 degree heat, so I'm sure their legs we're heavy."
That sentiment was echoed by the players after the match.
"My whole body is tired right now," team captain Yohance Marshall said. "Overall though, I think our fitness is pretty good for this point in the season."
In the first period of play the Bulls were able to control the ball better than they would for the rest of the match. In the 20th minute, junior mid-fielder Kevon Neaves struck a line drive from outside the 18 yard box that ricocheted off the post and into the back of the net to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
USF would strike again before the end of the period after Neaves made a good run weaving in and out of defenders. He passed the ball out wide to a streaking Jordan Seabrook who had assisted him on the first goal. This time, Seabrook launched a cross that found the foot of senior forward Simon Schoendorf for the second Bulls goal.
"We have a lot of offensive minded players," Seabrook said. "We've been working mostly on defense thus far so I'm happy with the way everything flowed tonight."
The second and third periods saw less action as the number of shots on goal diminished along with the time of controlled possession. The Bulls had a lot of set piece opportunities off of free kicks in the second period but were unable to capitalize on anything. The final period was more of the same as both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball.
"We haven't spent a minute on the attack (in practice) but we were still able to get two good goals which is nice," Kiefer said. "But no doubt about it, the main priority is how we handle and possess the ball and I feel like we didn't take care of the ball well enough tonight."
In the end the Bulls out shot the Spartans 9-1. An encouraging sign as they move forward on the training grounds toward a season of high hopes for USF offensively.
"This was a training session for us," Kiefer said. "We just have to keep working on it. We're back out there tomorrow morning at nine."
-David Rice
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