USF LACROSSE PUBLIC DEBUT
Saturday - 2 p.m. - vs. Florida Southern • Corbett Stadium • USF Campus
Free Admission

The USF women's lacrosse program won't play its first game until the spring of 2025, but why wait? Coach Mindy McCord already has established ambitious goals for the Bulls — a packed Corbett Stadium for the opener, immediate contention for the American Athletic Conference championship and national-title hopes — but first there are baby-steps ahead.

Saturday, USF lacrosse holds its first public scrimmages at Corbett Stadium, facing Saint Leo University at 10 a.m. and Florida Southern College at 2 p.m.

McCord, who came to USF after becoming a six-time Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year at Jacksonville University, said she understands there are many levels to drawing and keeping fans. She's ready for the challenge.

"I think people are aware of us, they know we're here, they know we're coming soon and I think there's a general curiosity,'' McCord said. "My goal is to draw fans. I know to get fans, you don't necessarily have to be an expert on the sport, but the personal relationships with the players really matter.''

Lacrosse has become one of America's fastest-growing female sports. The University of Florida established a program in 2010. Hillsborough County public high schools added it as a full-fledged varsity sport in 2014. Lacrosse was recently added to the 2028 lineup for the Los Angeles Olympics.

Many of the fans McCord hopes to attract may not have witnessed a lacrosse game or fully be in tune with the rules. That's OK. There's room for everyone.

"People say, 'I like this game, but I don't understand it,' '' McCord said. "Well, we're going to explain it to you. We're going to demonstrate it. We're going to let you get to know our players and we feel you're going to be impressed by their athletic and academic abilities. Everybody has a stake in this and we want to make it fun and exciting. The more you're around lacrosse, the more you're going to understand it and the more you're going to love it. We're just starting out and everyone is welcome. We want to engage our students and our entire community.''

McCord said fans of hockey, basketball and soccer will find familiar trends in lacrosse, which features 12 players for each team (four attackers, four defenders, three midfielders and one goalie). USF will run a fast-paced, high-scoring offense that is inspired by the legendary fast-break principles of the 1990 Loyola Marymount men's basketball team.

"It's really fun to watch,'' said USF player Sofia Chepenik, a transfer from Clemson University and an ACC All-Freshman Team selection, one of the six transfers on the Bulls' 27-player roster. "I've never met anyone who saw lacrosse live and didn't want to come back. There are rules that have to be learned for new fans, but once you get the hang of it and see why the players do certain things, I think you get hooked.''

Chepenik said the entire USF team knows that its role is more than just playing the game. The Bulls must sell the game and court fans to establish attention in a busy Tampa Bay area sports market.

"Whatever we can do to get people interested in USF lacrosse, we're going to do that,'' Chepenik said. "We are very big on family and culture. So, we're constantly going to have an outreach for the fans. We believe if we can make people excited about the game and believe in us as much as we believe in them, USF lacrosse is going to quickly become one of the top programs in the nation. A big part of that is the relationships we have on our team and the relationships we're going to have with the fans. We're going to build this together.''

With the $22-million Indoor Performance Facility and the on-campus stadium set to debut in 2026, McCord said USF's infrastructure and potential have helped to attract high-level players.

"It's a great place to be,'' said freshman Elle Trzaskawka of Medford, N.J. "The way Mindy's teams play, it's highly entertaining. I think it will be a very attractive sport for people to watch. I think it's going to take off.''

"USF will be playing for national titles, no doubt,'' said freshman Claire Natoli of Doylestown, Pa. "It seems like our first game is such a long way away (spring of 2025), but it will be here before you know it. All the steps along the way to build it up will be really exciting. It will all be the first time we've done each thing.''

This Saturday is one of those significant steps.

On the bye week for USF football, the Tampa campus could have some lacrosse tailgaters. Once inside Corbett Stadium, fans will see a lineup of speed and athleticism, a full-court basketball approach on grass, a non-stop assault on the net.

That's how McCord's teams played at Jacksonville, where the high-energy style often won out against teams with more skill.

"Whether you're a USF student, a fan or young player just starting out in the game, it's in all of our best interests to learn this game, teach it and enjoy it every step of the way,'' McCord said. "I was intrigued from the beginning about starting this program at USF and having all these great possibilities.

"We can recruit nationally elite players here. We can win big here. Being on the ground floor of something like that is very exciting.''

The ground floor of USF lacrosse will add more passengers with Saturday's public scrimmage.

Going up?

–#GoBulls–

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