TAMPA, OCT. 23, 2023 – Head coach
Mindy McCord and USF Women's Lacrosse are gearing up to play in front of the Bulls fanbase for the first time in program history when they take on a pair of opponents in exhibition action Saturday, including a 2 p.m. clash with Florida Southern. Free tickets for the exhibition action in Corbett Stadium can be reserved
HERE.
The two contests (10 a.m. vs. Saint Leo; 2 p.m. vs. Florida Southern) conclude an exciting fall exhibition season that has seen eight NCAA opponents.
"Playing scrimmages every weekend has given us the feedback to grow and develop," McCord said. "The team has responded very well to a full-time work schedule with a ton of effort and enthusiasm".
Here's what to expect from the fastest-growing sport in college athletics, and how USF plays a unique style of BULLyball, including rapid ball movement, exciting goals and aggressive, risk taking defense:
Your Favorite Sports Combined!
Are you a fan of basketball, hockey, or soccer? Then you're in luck! You'll see a combination of elements from each game carry over into lacrosse. Similar to basketball, the offense utilizes pick-and-rolls, isolations, off-ball cutting, and set plays. On defense, you'll notice man-to-man and zone setups that hope to cause turnovers and set up fast breaks and quick goals in transition! The rapid ball movement, cutting, hand-eye coordination, and stick skills in lacrosse are just like hockey, and players can also substitute on the fly. All of this takes place on a soccer or football-sized field with 12 players at a time, so you'll be sure to be entertained!
High-Flying Offense and Plenty of Goals
"The fastest game on two feet" doesn't get any faster than Coach McCord's high-tempo offense, which in the past has set NCAA records for goals per game. Influenced by Loyola Marymount basketball's early 1990's record-setting "run and gun" playstyle, the Bulls' offense emphasizes fast break and transition play that keeps the opposing defense on their toes. There isn't a dull moment in this offense, and there will be plenty of goals to go around. Blink, and you might just miss one!
Risk-Taking Defense
In order to set up fast breaks and high-tempo opportunities, the defense needs to cause some turnovers and get out in transition. That is exactly what you will see from this Bulls defense. Look for aggressive on-ball defense, as well as double teams that will put opposing offenses out of their comfort zone. Once the ball is on the ground, watch the defenders swarm after it to get it up and out to the offense.
Star-Studded Transfer Class
Coach McCord landed a transfer class that has brought tremendous leadership experience to the team and has made an immediate impact on the field. On offense, this class is led by a dynamic attacking trio in
Sofia Chepenik, Juliana George, and
Maggie Newton. Sofia comes from Clemson, where she was selected for the 2023 ACC All-Freshman team. Her high-powered shot and field vision helped her lead all Freshmen in goals (33) and assists (20). Juliana is a dynamic, shifty attacker from VCU, where she finished her career 4
th all-time in points with 170. Maggie is a goal-scoring machine from Mercyhurst, leading her former team in goals in back-to-back seasons (44 in 2023, 41 in 2022). This trio is a highlight reel waiting to happen, and one you will not want to miss.
Holding it down on both ends of the field are speedy midfielders
Kaitlyn Tartaglione and
Morgan Zimmerman. Kaitlyn comes from UConn, where she played in 17 games for the Huskies, and Morgan comes from Colorado after playing in 18 games for the Buffaloes.
Shutting down opposing teams is defender
Lucy Hankins, who played in all 15 games at Butler University and finished second on the team with 10 caused turnovers. You can expect her to cause some chaos on the defensive end.
Young Talent
The bulk of this roster is comprised of the 21 first-years from the inaugural signing class who have taken full advantage of the fall training season. When asked about the class, Coach McCord said, "You wouldn't know this team is competing with 80
percent first-years, and that's a tribute to the group's work ethic, focus, and toughness. They come to work each day, and they want to be coached honestly".
This exciting class comes from all over the map. Attacker
Issi Osborn comes south from Rockford, Mich., where she was a 2023 MVP and All-American for Rockford High School. At the midfield, look forward to seeing
Claire Natoli and
Bailey Morris all over the field. Claire is a Pennsylvania native who earned 2023 USA Lacrosse All-American and Philadelphia Catholic League MVP honors at Cardinal O'Hara High School. Bailey is from Dublin, Ohio, earning 2022 USA Lacrosse All-American and 2023 MVP honors for Dublin Coffman High School. On the defensive end,
Cami Schachet is already making a big impact. She comes from Fort Collins, Col. and was the 2023 Rocky Mountain High School Multi-Sport Athlete of the Year.
This young core is ready to put on a thrilling opening act for the Bulls fanbase and show what's in store for the official 2025 opening season.
ABOUT USF LACROSSE
The University of South Florida announced the addition of women's lacrosse to its now 21-sport varsity athletics program in November of 2021. The Bulls named eight-time conference coach of the year Mindy McCord to lead the program in May of 2022. McCord, who came to USF with 240 career wins, earned 21 regular season and conference tournament titles at Jacksonville University and led the program to eight NCAA appearances after starting and leading the Dolphins' program in its first 13 years. She developed 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections and 13 conference player of the year honorees during that span. USF runs a fast-paced, high scoring offense influenced by the early 1990's Loyola Marymount men's basketball record-setting fast break, which ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game and scoring margin numerous seasons during McCord's tenure at JU.
Follow @USFWLax on Twitter for all the latest information concerning the USF women's lacrosse program.
– #GoBulls –
