USF Athletics

Bulls Face SMU in AAC Semifinals

November 02, 2017

AAC Semifinals: No. 2 USF (11-3-1, 7-1-1) vs. No. 6 SMU (10-6-3, 7-4-1)
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 3, 2017 at 4:30 p.m.
Location: Orlando, Fla. // UCF Soccer and Track Complex
Watch: American Digital Network
Tournament Central: www.TheAmerican.org/WSoccer     
Follow: Live Stats // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram
                                                                                      
TAMPA (Nov. 2, 2017) — The USF women's soccer team will kick off postseason against SMU in Orlando on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the American Athletic Conference semifinals.
                        
The Bulls have gone undefeated for the last seven matches, and closed the regular season with a thrilling 1-1 draw at No. 8 UCF. With their first tie of the season, the Bulls claimed second place in league standings, and a first-round bye for the conference tournament.  
 
USF ended its season 11-3-1 with only one loss and one draw in conference play. Sophomore forward Evelyne Viens (L'ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Canada) leads the squad with 10 goals, and midfielder Andrea Hauksdottir (Kopavogur, Iceland) leads with eight assists.
 
Senior keeper Kat Elliott (Bradenton, Fla.) made a career-high nine saves in the 1-1 draw at UCF. Elliott has started every game since the beginning of the 2015 season, and has recorded 1,386 minutes in goal in the 2017 season.
 
The Bulls will be playing for a chance to win the American Athletic Conference Championship, as well as the automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA selections will be announced Monday following the tournament.
 
The Opponent
No. 6 SMU upset No. 3 Cincinnati on Wednesday evening, when Allie Thornton sent a long ball in for a goal in the 36^th minute, and the Mustangs held their lead for the remainder of the match.
 
The Bulls defeated the Mustangs in the regular season, 3-2, on Oct. 5. USF went ahead early and never trailed when sophomore forward Aubrey Megrath (West Palm Beach, Fla.) scored in the first five minutes, and again in the 55^th minute. Freshman Katie Kitching (Bedale, England) helped bolster USF's lead with a goal in the 47^th minute.
 
Notables

• The Bulls have a dynamic offense with 32 goals scored by 11 different players.
• USF has outshot opponents, 250-207, this season, and has had 119 shots on goal over its opponents' 91.
• Hauksdottir is 4-for-4 in penalty kicks.
• Elliott is 11-3-1 this season with 67 saves.

 
Be sure to follow USF women's soccer on social media (Twitter / Instagram/ Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF women's soccer team has posted five consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins and six in the last seven years under head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. Schilte-Brown reached her 100^th win with USF last season, and will begin her eleventh season as head coach in 2017. The Bulls made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2010 and returned in 2014 & 2015.