University of South Florida
St. John's
No-Quit Bulls Break Through at St. John's
October 16, 2011 | Women's Soccer
By: TOM ZEBOLD USF Senior Writer There is no quit in these Bulls and they showed it in a tough place to play Sunday.
Sharla Passariello came through with two goals, including the game-winner, and the USF women's soccer team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory at St. John's. "It would have been easy for a team that has had a streak of bad luck to give up, but I think we showed maturity and leadership to be optimistic and pushed through for a victory," head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said. All four of the Bulls' past losses came by a margin of only a single goal, but that didn't take any fight out of a proud, veteran group in Queens, N.Y. St. John's (8-8-1, 4-6-0) struck first with a goal by Christina Martino in the 24th minute and USF battled back about 13 minutes later. Anne Vikre and Kelly Campbell provided the assists on a score by Passariello, who beat the keeper with a high shot. USF (6-7-4, 2-5-3) stayed aggressive after halftime and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute when Noelle Pineiro drew a foul inside the box and then put the penalty kick away. The Red Storm broke even in the 77th minute, but the tie was short-lived. Passariello, who played the entire game, got a one-on-one with the keeper about two minutes later and put the ball in the back of the net to the left. "She played tenacious off the ball to create opportunities for herself," Schilte-Brown said. Keeper Nicole McClure preserved the victory late by pushing a strong shot over the net and finished with 12 saves. "I felt like Nicole played an excellent game and really anchored us in the back," Schilte-Brown said. The victory proved the Bulls aren't going to give up in tight games, but they also showed they have the mental strength to play up to their potential with one game to go in the regular season. "I just think it relieves a little bit of pressure," Schilte-Brown said. "There is always that thing that you don't want to make a habit of losing. I think they did a great job of believing in themselves." USF wraps up the regular season on the road with a game against Marquette on Saturday at 6 p.m.
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