Bulls fall in War on I-4, but secure No. 2 seed
For the first time since 2019, South Florida women’s soccer lost the War on I-4. The Bulls dropped the final game of the regular season 2-0 against UCF on Thursday at home.
The Bulls (8-8, 5-3 AAC) struggled to maintain possession of the ball in the first half. USF was frequently dispossessed on the ball and had a tough time stringing together a series of passes. UCF (9-2-4, 7-0-1 AAC) played much calmer and were able to establish a control of the pace of the game.
With the lack of possession time, South Florida’s goalkeeper and defense were put under major pressure, but responded well. They only allowed one first half goal out of 11 shots, in what could have easily been a four or five goal half for the Knights, considering how many dangerous opportunities they produced.
Coming out in the second half, South Florida looked like a completely different team. The Bulls dominated possession, applied constant pressure and created numerous scoring chances. The Knights were held to three shots in the second half, but capitalized in the 66th minute.
Both teams’ goalkeepers had six saves. USF led UCF by one shot, but the Knights had four corners to USF’s three.
Despite the loss, USF secured the second seed in the conference.
“It’s two games to the NCAA,” coach Denise Shilte-Brown said. “You take it one game at a time and you don’t think about the past and you don’t think about the future. You put all hands on deck one game at a time.”
The Bulls will next play in the semifinals of the AAC Tournament at 4 p.m. on Nov. 3 against the winner of the SMU vs. Cincinnati game. The matchup will be at UCF and will be streamed on ESPN+.
More Stories
USF men’s basketball wins home opener amid first half brawl
USF’s 85-69 home-opening win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff took an intense turn when a heated scuffle erupted in the first half of the game. Golden Lions junior guard Zach Reinhart shoved Bulls junior forward De’Ante Green after a play along the sidelines, triggering a bench-clearing confrontation. As Green tried to get up, Reinhart escalated tensions by […]
USF’s Golesh sticking with quarterback Archie for Charlotte matchup
USF will take on Charlotte on the road on Saturday after a 28-7 defeat against Navy during Homecoming week. USF and Charlotte last faced off against each other in 2023 where the Bulls defeated the 49ers 48-14 in a victory to clinch bowl eligibility. Bulls coach Alex Golesh said the Bulls are determined to move […]
USF Vs. Navy takeaways: Missed chances doom Bulls
USF’s season-long struggle with consistency was on full display Saturday, as it failed to muster enough offense in a 28-7 Homecoming loss to Navy. Missed opportunities and turnovers continued to plague a Bulls team searching for stability in the final stretch of the season. Head coach Alex Golesh took responsibility for the team’s lackluster performance. […]
USF’s offensive struggles persist in Homecoming loss to Navy
It took USF football 59 minutes of game time to score on Saturday. That touchdown – a 13-yard pass from junior quarterback Bryce Archie to graduate receiver Michael Brown-Stephens – helped USF evade what would’ve been its first shutout loss since 2021. Turnovers, penalties and drops littered USF’s 28-7 loss against Navy, snapping a two-game […]
PHOTOS: USF v. Navy
In front of a 34,000-person audience, USF lost 28-7 to Navy on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. USF scored its only touchdown with around one minute left on the clock, preventing what would’ve been a shutout loss for USF. The match, which was USF’s Salute to Service game, capped off the university’s delayed Homecoming Week. […]
USF breaks ground on campus stadium: ‘Championships will be won here’
Tony Umholtz remembers some of the earliest days of USF football. In 1997, Umholtz went to an open tryout for the inaugural USF football roster at Sycamore Fields after being encouraged by former coach Jim Leavitt. “There must have been 350 students, it was crazy,” Umholtz said. “I’m talking gym rats, people with no skill… […]