TAMPA, Oct. 26, 2018 – USF defeated rival UCF, 1-0, in the War on I-4 Friday night to clinch The American Regular Season Championship, and earn a home field advantage for the conference tournament that begins next week.
 
It was a tightly contested match for the Bulls (13-2-0, 8-1-0) and the Knights (9-6-1, 6-3-0) that went scoreless for 81 minutes. The regular season finale determined not only rivalry points in the War on I-4, but a regular season championship and hosting duties for The American tournament.
 
A complete team effort lifted USF to victory, as the Bulls defense limited UCF to just three shots in the first half and five in the second. Kelli Burney (Bealeton, Va.), who was honored in the pre-game senior night ceremony, lead an impressive back line that limited UCF to just one shot on goal which was swiftly collected by freshman keeper Sydney Martinez (Rincon, Ga.).  
 
In the 82^nd minute, USF's record-breaking striker Evelyne Viens netted the game-winner, her 18^th goal of the season, to put the Bulls up 1-0. Viens shot the ball from the top center of the penalty box, beating one of the best keepers in the league, Vera Varis, to the right. USF's win streak stretches to seven games, and the Bulls finish the regular season undefeated at home. USF has now won 14 straight matches at Corbett Stadium dating back to Sept. 2017.
 
Quotable
 
Notable

• This was USF's first-ever regular season American Athletic Conference title
• USF is 21-3-3 in American Athletic Conference play at home and 28-3-3 at Corbett Stadium through the last four seasons (2015)
• USF has already scored 46 goals this season which is just four away from the second-highest in program history
• USF has outscored opponents 46-11 this season and outshot opponents 264-126
• Martinez recorded her third solo shutout of the season
• This win marks the first six points earned by USF this season in the War on I-4

 
The American Tournament
USF will host the conference tournament as the top seed with a first-round bye. There will be two quarterfinal matches on Wednesday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. The semifinals will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, with USF in the 7 p.m. match (opponent to be determined). The championship match is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. All games will be streamed on The American Digital Network. Live stats can be found HERE.
 
 
About USF Women's Soccer
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 six consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins and eight in the last nine years under head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. The Bulls made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2010 and returned in 2014, 2015 and 2017.