TAMPA, Fla. (September 27, 2023) – The University of South Florida women's soccer team returns to the friendly confines of Corbett Stadium for an American Athletic Conference showdown with East Carolina on Thursday. USF and ECU are tied at the top of the standings in the AAC East at 1-0-1 in league play. The first touch for Thursday's match is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
The last time out, South Florida defeated the No. 21 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, 2-1, at Corbett Stadium. Kouri Peace and Peyton Vincze led USF with a goal each. The win over Gonzaga is the first win against a ranked opponent since USF defeated Washington in the NCAA Tournament on November 22, 2019.
 
Earlier this week, Peace was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Week after she collected three points with her game-winning goal and an assist against Gonzaga. Leire Herraez Gallach picked up an AAC Honor Roll nod after she tallied seven saves against one of the top offenses in the country.
 
Thursday's match will be our Salute to Service. Veterans and military personnel will be able to purchase $4 hot dogs from the concession stand. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a reversible USF bucket hat along with a patriotic Koozie.
 
Bulls at a Glance
Anna Sutter leads the team with six goals and 12 points. She is tied for 59th in the NCAA with 0.60 goals per match, which is tied for third in the conference. Her six goals are tied for 56th in the country, while her 12 points are tied for 123rd. Georgia Brown is second on the team with 11 points, five goals and one assist. Gentiana Fetaj is currently tied for 16th in the nation with six assists, which is tied for tops in The American. She is tied for 14th in the nation and is second for the conference with 0.60 assists per match. Fetaj has added a goal and is third on the squad with eight points. Peace, Micahela Hill, Vivianne Bessette, and Peyton Vincze are tied for third on the team with two goals each. Amaris Hamilton-Grein, Regan Kelly, Kendall Lincoln, and Signe Markvardsen have all added one goal. Serita Thurton is second on the squad with three assists. Bessette, Vincze, and Jaide Simone Prejean, all have two assists apiece on the season. Hamilton-Grein, Hill, Peace, Linnea Nestor, Elyse Thornton, and Olivia Mancini all have one assist. Leire Herraez Gallach has a team-best 24 saves in eight matches. Arden La-Rose has appeared in six matches and has eight saves on the year. As a team, USF is 23rd in the country with 8.50 shots on goal per match, which is third in The American. With 2.20 assists per match, the Bulls are tied for 36th in the NCAA and are second in the AAC. South Florida is tied for 41st in the NCAA with 24 goals, 41st in the country with 70 points, and 38th in the nation with 22 assists.
 
Series History with ECU
USF and ECU will meet for the 16th time on Thursday. The Bulls hold a 12-2-1 series advantage and have won the last 12 meetings. South Florida is 7-0-1 against East Carolina in home matches. In the last meeting, the Bulls defeated the Pirates, 2-1, in Greenville, North Carolina, last season.
 
Scouting the Pirates
Maeve English leads ECU in goal with six shutouts. Her shutouts are tied for sixth in the NCAA and tied for second in the conference. She has played all 990 minutes for the Pirates and has tallied 31 saves. Offensively, Sydney Schnell paces the team with eight points, three goals and two assists. Jazmin Ferguson is second on the squad with seven points, three goals and one assist. Ella Steck is the only other player with more than a goal with two. Lucy Fazackerley and Samantha Moxie are tied with four points, both have one goal and two assists. Brooke Burzynski and Elsa Stedman have a goal and an assist each.
 
How to Follow
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: gousfbulls.com
Listen: BullsUnlimited
International Stream: gousfbulls.com
 
American Standings
East
1. East Carolina – 6-2-3, 1-0-1
2. USF – 5-4-1, 1-0-1
3. FAU – 5-4-2, 1-1-0
4. UAB – 4-3-3, 0-0-2
5. Charlotte – 4-3-4, 0-0-2
6. Temple – 2-6-3, 0-2-0
 
West
1. Memphis – 8-1-0, 2-0-0
2. SMU – 5-2-1, 1-0-1
3. North Texas – 7-2-0, 1-1-0
4. Tulsa – 2-6-3, 0-0-2
5. UTSA – 5-4-2, 0-1-1
6. Rice – 2-8-1, 0-2-0

About South Florida 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 2023 season marks the 17th and final for head coach Denise Schilte-Brown at the helm of the Bulls. Schilte-Brown guided South Florida to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2010 and the Bulls have made eight total postseason appearances (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021) in the last 13 years. USF posted five consecutive seasons with a conference championship, winning the regular-season title in 2018, 2020, and 2021, while earning the tournament crown in 2017, 2019, and 2020. USF alum and Olympic Gold Medalist, Evelyne Viens, was selected fifth overall in the NWSL Draft by the Sky Blue FC, now Gotham FC. Viens was one of four Pro Bulls to participate in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
 
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