Bulls Squeeze By Syracuse 1-0



TAMPA, Fla. – In front of a record crowd, the University of South Florida notched a goal in the 71st minute to pick up its second BIG EAST win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Syracuse, Friday night at the USF Soccer Stadium. The win is USF’s first over the Orange, improving the all-time series record to 1-2-0.



The Bulls were supported by 1004 fans, eclipsing the former women’s soccer single-game attendance record of 547, which was set Sept. 22, 2006 against Providence.



With Friday’s win, head coach Denise Schilte-Brown’s all-time coaching record improves to 97-74-19. Schilte-Brown was 77-51-17 in seven seasons at Virginia Commonwealth and 17-18 at her alma mater, Maryland-Baltimore County, in 1998 and 1999.



The win is also the program’s 100th all-time victory, as the women’s soccer team has posted a 100-99-20 clip in 13 years of existence.



“We’re really excited about the program’s 100th win; it’s nice to be a part of USF’s history,” said Schilte-Brown. “We [the coaching staff] just got here, but those ladies and coaches that came before us did a great job, so we are excited to get the win and make them proud.”



Junior forward Lindsay Brauer scored USF’s goal, which was assisted by senior Autumn Browning. Sophomore goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi earned her fourth shutout, making six saves and facing 10 total shots in 90 minutes.



“The girls played hard tonight,” said Schilte-Brown. “We’re building each game and getting better and better, so if we continue to do that hopefully we’ll see many more wins in the future here at USF.”



In the first period Friday night, the Bulls took six shots, most notably an attempt midway through the half from Browning that hit the crossbar. Two leaping saves by Lofton-Malachi kept the game scoreless through the first 45 minutes.



The Bulls came out offensively attacking in the second stanza, taking 12 shots, seven on frame. Browning continued to work offensively throughout the second period, using swift footwork to take back-to-back shots in the 68th minute. With 20 minutes left in the game, sophomore midfielder Nina Jokuschies sent a hard shot toward the goal, but found the left post, keeping the game scoreless.



A minute later, the ball was uncontrolled in front of the Syracuse net, until Browning tapped a pass to Brauer, who, from four yards out, blasted the ball past the Orange keeper for her third goal of the season. Browning tallied her second assist of the year on the play.



Despite ferocious final attempts from Syracuse, the Bulls held the Orange scoreless in the final minutes to win the game 1-0.



Both Browning and Brauer each had five shot attempts in the conference game, while sophomore Rachel Jakubowski added three, two on goal. USF outshot Syracuse 18-10 overall and had nine shots on goal, opposed to the Orange’s six.



Sunday afternoon the Bulls return to the USF Soccer Stadium to face the St. John’s Red Storm at 1 p.m. Prior to the game, at approximately 12:40 p.m., USF seniors Autumn Browning, Paulina McIntosh and Ashley Quaid will be recognized for their careers with the Bulls.



Tickets to all USF home matches are $5 for adults, $3 for youth 16-and-under and $2 for groups of 10 or more. Call 1-800-GoBulls or visit www.GoUSFBulls.com for details. Spectators will have the opportunity to get player and coach autographs at the conclusion of both game down on the field.



USF concludes the 2007 season the same way it began – on the road. The Bulls head to the Midwest Oct. 19 and 21 to play Cincinnati and Louisville, then end the regular season with trips to West Virginia (Oct. 26) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 28).