TAMPA - Getting a crack at a third Top 25 opponent of the year and on 2009 Senior Day, the University of South Florida women's soccer team had a flair for the dramatic in its come-from-behind 2-1 win over No. 18/24 Connecticut on Sunday afternoon at the USF Soccer Day.
"I couldn't be prouder of this team," said a Powerade drenched Denise Schilte-Brown. "For them to battle back after being down 1-0 against a ranked UConn team says so much about this team's heart. This win was for our seniors."
With the score knotted at one, Klotz took a centering feed from fellow sophomore Gina Pacheco and sent a left-footed blast from just inside the the box for the game-winner with just under 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
It was Klotz's third game winner of the season and fifth overall goal in 2009.
USF would successfully stop any type of scoring chance mounted by UConn as Schilte-Brown substituted constantly throughout the remaining 10 minutes.
Connecticut, who entered the match in first place of the American Division of the BIG EAST Standings, struck first with 17 minutes remaining in the first half.
Elise Fugowski tallied her second goal of the season when she picked up a deflected shot after Mallori Lofton-Malachi made a diving save, but the ball would not clear and the ball bounced to Fugowski with an open net and she tapped it in to pick up the goal to make it 1-0 in favor of the visiting Huskies.
The goal was just the third goal allowed in the first half of play this season by USF.
The score would remain at 1-0 for the remainder of the half and would stay that way until the 54th minute.
It became apparent the Bulls were beginning to impose their will on the offensive end and keep the Huskies on their heels. Pacheco led the charge from her midfield position as she mustered three shots on goal all within minutes of the each other.
Her last shot of the sequence would pay dividends for the Bulls.
Pacheco took a touch feed from freshman Taylor Patterson and would rocket a blast from the top of the box past the outstretched Jessica Duloski to even the match up at one. The goal was Pacheco's 1st of the season and the assist was Patterson's team leading fifth assist of the season.
Pacheco nearly followed up the tying goal, with a go ahead goal just seconds later as she broke free off the face, but she was denied by Dulski.4
Leading up to Klotz's game-winner, the Bulls would continue to pressure the UConn back-third. USF would outshoot the Huskies 10-5 in the second half and 17-10 for the game.
Following UConn's lone goal of the match, the USF backline and goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi would shut the door on the Huskies' attack. The Bulls allowed just one shot on goal in the final 45 minutes.
The lone save was a diving effort in the 66th minute to preserve the 1-1 score. The senior, who could possibly be playing in her final home match of her career, made three saves on the afternoon. The win was the eighteenth of her USF career.
The win marks the first win over a ranked opponent in three tries this season for the Bulls. It is the first win for the Bulls over a ranked team since the Bulls upset No. 23 Marquette in 2007.
USF, now 6-5-3 on the season and 3-2-2, will hit the road to finish up the 2009 season. The Bulls will jockey for position in the BIG EAST standings and try to place themselves the 2009 BIG EAST Championships, after missing the tournament in 2008. They will likely find themselves in fourth place in the American just four points behind first place UConn heading into the week.
USF will start their remaing four matches with a match-up against the Louisville Cardinals at 7 p.m. on Oct 16. They will then make the short trip to the Queen City to take on Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Gamenotes
USF is 3-1-1 in their last five games and 4-1-2 in their last seven... Klotz has five career game winning goals... The win is the third come from behind win of the season... The win marks the first win ever against the Huskies in five all-time meetings... They are now 1-3-1 against UConn... Pacheco's goal was the first goal every scored against the Huskies... Freshman Kelly Campbell made her first career start and senior Amanda McCormick made her first start of the season... The Bulls finished their home slate 5-2-2 overall and 3-1-1 on the season... USF honored five seniors prior to the match in a pregame ceremony.
