University of South Florida
Akron
Bulls Savor Fruit of Their Labor
September 10, 2011 | Women's Soccer
By TOM ZEBOLD USF Senior Writer TAMPA – USF kept firing and firing and not putting a dent in the net. Fortunately for the Bulls, their heads stayed in it Friday night and Demi Stokes made it all worthwhile. The sophomore forward broke a scoreless game in the 63rd minute and the Bulls held on for a 1-0 victory over Akron at USF's new stadium. USF peppered its opponents with shots last weekend and a similar result with little to show for it. It was happening again in the first half Friday when the Bulls outshot Akron, 9-2, and controlled the ball for most of the period. “I felt like the girls did a great job to feel secure and understand that if they kept up the tempo and the momentum that the goal would come,” USF head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said. Hard work paid off when the Bulls got a corner kick, a sharp cross from Brittany Piulon and a wide-open header from Stokes, who scored her third goal of the young season. “We've been working on set pieces time and time again,” Stokes said. “I think it's just great that it's actually come off and hopefully we can carry it into our next game.” USF secured its second consecutive shutout and outshot Akron, 25-4, with much credit going to a Bulls defense that didn't allow the Zips many clean looks at the net. “Once you break through that kind of glass ceiling that you set for yourself you could see the girls relax,” Schilte-Brown said. USF (3-2-1) continues its seven-game homestand 2 p.m. Sunday against Jacksonville, which defeated FAU, 2-0, in the opener of the Bulls' weekend tournament.
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