Bulls Open Preseason with Exhibition Match Against Stetson
TAMPA (Aug. 7, 2018)
— USF will open the preseason in Tampa with an exhibition match against Stetson on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The match will be played at the USF Track and Field Stadium. Fans can find parking in Lot 6, and enter on the west side of the stadium.
The Bulls returned to campus for the 2018 season on July 31 to begin preseason camp, and will have three exhibition tests before the regular season begins on Aug. 16 against Towson.
USF had a historic season in 2017 with a 13-4-2 finish, outscoring opponents 36-21, and making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament for just the second time in program history. The Bulls earned their first American Athletic Conference title with a win over UCF in the conference tournament, and finished 7-1 in The American.
The Bulls return 20 student-athletes, including nine starters and add 10 newcomers to the roster.
The Opponent
The Hatters went 9-4-3 in 2017, and their season ended in the first round of the ASUN tournament with a loss to Jacksonville. Stetson begins the season without their star forward who led the team in her senior campaign in goals (9), points (22) and shots (60).
The Hatters return junior Lindsay Parent, who recently earned recognition from the ASUN as the preseason player of the year, voted on by fans through social media. As a sophomore last year, she was Stetson's third-leading scorer with nine points (4 goals, 1 assist), earning second-team all-conference honors. Also returning, Erin Avers, will likely anchor the back line after starting all 16 games last season. She captained the defense in 2017, helping to shut out six opponents and led the field in minutes played with 1,423.
Notables
- USF is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
- The Bulls were tabbed second in the American Athletic Conference Coaches' Poll
- Evelyne Viens (L'ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Canada) returns as a junior this season after being named USF women's soccer's first All-American
- Viens was named the preseason offensive player of the year for the second straight season by The American
- Viens and Andrea Hauksdottir (Kopovagur, Iceland) were named to The American Preseason All-Conference Team, Viens by unanimous selection
Up Next
The Bulls will travel to Columbia, S.C., for the second of three exhibition matches. USF will take on No. 5 South Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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.
-#GoBulls-
