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| Top Performers |
| Player |
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| USF - Noelle Pineiro |
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| LSU - Melissa Clarke |
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| Goalkeepers |
| Player |
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| LSU - Isom |
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| USF- Lofton-Malachi |
90:00
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8
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TAMPA- After netting the first goal of the 2009 Dafeldecker Classic, the University of South Florida women's soccer game dropped their match to the previously ranked LSU Tigers on Sunday 2-1.
Despite the second half goal and eight saves by
Mallori Lofton-Malachi, the Bulls dropped to 1-2-1 on the season.
"I thought the girls fought really well. I think we played much better than we did on Friday night. It's good to see that the team was able to recover from a not too good performance and turn something into a good performance," said head coach
Denise Schilte-Brown.
The teams would open the match with a scoreless 45 minutes. In the half, the Tigers and Bulls attempted five shot s apiece but the Bulls put three shots on goal.
After being held scoreless for the previous 223:01 minutes of play, USF would end the drought with a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.
Sophomore Midfielder Gina Pacheco took the ball up the middle weaving in between a pair of LSU defenders before drawing the penalty in the box.
Noelle Pineiro took the penalty shot for the Bulls and ripped the ball past Tiger goalkeeper Mo Isom into the lower left-hand side of the goal to give the Bulls the 1-0 lead.
The goal was the third of the season for the Bulls' leading scorer, and Pineiro has accounted for all three of USF's goals in 2009.
The score was the first of the 2009 Dafeldecker Classic.
After two games that went into double-overtime on Friday and a half of play today, the Bulls were able to end the tournament scoreless streak 13 minutes into the second half.
Less than 10 minutes later, LSU midfielder Melissa Clarke received a pass off the foot of Boudreau and netted the Tigers' first goal of the tournament to tie the game at one.
It appeared that the third game of the Dafeldecker Classic would enter overtime much like the first two games of the weekend, but in the 87th minute, Clarke struck again. This time, she dribbled the ball to the top of the box and ripped a shot towards the USF net.
USF goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi dove to her right and swatted the Clarke shot out of the air. The rebound deflected right back out to Clarke who shot and scored into the lower right side of the net.
The goal was the eventual game-winner and gave the Tigers the 2-1 advantage.
"I thought we deserved to win the game and we showed a lot of offensive creativity and a lot of confidence on the ball. We had good contribution today from the majority of the team and unfortunately we didn't get the result," said Schlite-Brown.
Malachi recorded eight saves in the game to give her 20 for the tournament. The senior keeper had held her opponents scoreless since the second half of the game against Florida, spanning three halfs of play and two overtime periods.
Taylor Patterson and Chelsea Klotz each added a pair of shots on goal in the loss.
The Bulls finished 0-1-1 in the second annual Dafeldecker Classic, while LSU improved to 1-0-1 in the tournament.
USF's next action will come when the Bulls host Austin Peay at the USF Soccer Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
GAMENOTES:
Pineiro made her first start of the season against the Tigers. She The start was the 12th start of her career.
Valorie O'Brien returned to the Bulls' starting lineup on Sunday after coming off of the bench in the Bulls' double-overtime tie against FIU on Friday's opener.
Amanda McCormick made her 2009 debut coming off of the Bulls' bench to play 14 minutes against the Tigers.
The penalty kick goal by Noelle Pineiro was the first for the Bulls since 2007, and it gave the Bulls the lead in the 63rd minute.
Season tickets for USF women's soccer games are $40 for adults and $20 for youths and senior citizens. Adult individual match tickets are $6, while youth and senior citizen admission is $3. All groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $2.50 per ticket. All USF students will be admitted at no cost when they display their student ID.
