BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 7, 2021 – The University of South Florida women's soccer team opened its season with a 3-0 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls in Boca Raton on Sunday. Sydny Nasello scored the game-winner in the season opener for the second straight season.
 
Junior forward Nasello (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) tallied a goal and an assist in the match. Freshman defender Vivianne Bessette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) also recorded a goal and an assist in her collegiate debut, while Sabrina Wagner (New Port Richey, Fla.) scored the Bulls' third goal of the match.
 
Nasello scored USF's first goal of the season in the 10^th minute. She received a long pass from Bessette which lead to a breakaway and a goal. Wagner followed up Nasello's score with one of her own, getting a pass in the middle of the box from Nasello and driving it into the left side of the net to give USF a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
 
Bessette started the offense in the second half, scoring off the crossbar on a free kick to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead in the 51^st minute. A stellar defensive effort from the Bulls limited FAU to just four shots, with only one going on goal, with the first not coming until the 45^th minute just before the half. Junior Sydney Martinez (Rincon, Ga.) recorded her 11^th career shutout in the effort.
 
Quotable
Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown on the win…
"The team is growing with each match that we play. We had a great effort on both sides of the ball today. I was very impressed with the freshmen being able to step up and contribute in their collegiate debuts, especially with Vivianne scoring three points in her first college appearance. Now our focus is on shifting gears and getting ready to get better again against SMU."
 
Notables

• USF improves to 9-6-2 all-time against Florida Atlantic and 3-2 in the last five meetings.
• The Bulls have now won their last six season openers dating back to 2014.
• South Florida's shutout effort is the first in a season opener since 2016, a 2-0 win over ULM in Jackson, Mississippi.

 
Up Next
USF continues its road stretch by traveling to Dallas, Texas for its conference opener against SMU on Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. The match is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+. A step-by-step guide to ESPN+ 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 eight consecutive seasons of 10-plus wins and nine in the last 10 years under head coach Denise Schilte-Brown. The Bulls made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2010 and returned in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
 
-#GoBulls-