By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA – The Bulls' persistence paid off in their first victory of the season Monday night.

 Edwin Moalosi's penalty kick goal in the 81^st minute propelled USF past Stetson, 1-0, before a crowd of 955 at Corbett Stadium.

“I had to take on the responsibilities as a leader on the team. I had to make it,” said Moalosi of his first-career goal as a Bull.

Scoring chances were scarce against a Stetson defense that stayed back the whole game against an aggressive USF attack that finished with a 9-5 shot advantage and almost a 3-0 victory. Samuel Hosseini hit the crossbar in the 68^th minute and Wesley Charpie's shot in the 77^th minute deflected off keeper Andreas Schnabl's hand and drifted just inches above the crossbar.

The Bulls kept sticking with it and got the opportunity they were looking for in the 81^st minute when Kennedy Selorm Adablah was taken out by a defender inside the box to set up Moalosi's dramatic finish.

Keeper Brentton Muhammad, a senior transfer from the Florida Institute of Technology, made two saves in his USF debut while impressing head coach George Kiefer with his ability to keep the defense organized while the offense kept at it against the Hatters (1-1-0).

“Staying locked in during this kind of game can be tricky, so it's constant chatter and constantly talking to each other,” Kiefer said. “I heard the back four all night, which was a big step in the right direction keeping each other on task.”

USF (1-0-1) hits the road to face Michigan on Friday at 8 p.m. before returning to Corbett Stadium to host Wisconsin on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.