GREENVILLE, N.C. (October 10, 2024) – The University of South Florida women's soccer team was back on the pitch for an American Athletic Conference match at East Carolina on Thursday.
Elyse Thornton,
Anna Sutter, and
Sophia Cabral each tallied a goal as the Bulls defeated the Pirates 3-0. The three goals are the most that ECU has allowed all season.
With the win, South Florida improved to 8-2-3 overall and 3-1-2 in league play, while East Carolina fell to 6-4-3 overall and 3-2-1 in AAC matches. The Bulls have scored three or more goals in back-to-back matches in AAC play for the first time since 2018.
The Pirates recorded the first shot of the match in the fourth minute, but
Leire Herraez Gallach made a diving stop to keep ECU off the scoreboard.
In the 41st minute,
Gentiana Fetaj sent a cross into the box.
Kat Burnell got a touch on it and passed it to
Elyse Thornton. Thornton ripped her first touch by the diving ECU keeper. The Bulls took a 1-0 lead into the half.
South Florida got hot in the 59th minute. A hustle play by
Anna Sutter led to USF's second goal of the match. Sutter outran the defense to the ball on a ball that was misplayed by ECU. She collected the ball outside the box and then had a one-on-one opportunity with the ECU keeper. Sutter took her shot and beat the sprawled-out keeper.
Less than a minute late,
Serita Thurton dribbled a ball into the box along the endline. She sent a cross towards the front of the goal that was deflected to the foot of
Sophia Cabral. Cabral utilized her left foot and put a well-placed shot inside the far post. The Bulls defeated the Pirates 3-0.
Defensively, Herraez Gallach produced a season-high seven saves in her league-leading seventh shutout of the season. She improved to 8-2-3 in net for South Florida. Offensively, Thornton collected her second goal of the season. Sutter netted her seventh goal of the year. Cabral scored her second career goal. Fetaj and Thurton remain tied for the team lead in assists with five after they both dished out an assist tonight. Burnell collected her first career point as a Bull with an assist.
Notable
· The Bulls have outshot their opponents in 11 of the 13 matches.
· South Florida has scored three or more goals in back-to-back matches in AAC play for the first time since 2018.
·
Leire Herraez Gallach tallied a season-best seven saves in her league-leading seventh shutout of the season.
Next Up
The Bulls are back at home on Sunday, October 13. South Florida and Temple are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on ESPN+.
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 2024 season will be the first with Chris Brown at the helm. He spent the last 17 seasons as the associate head coach. Brown helped lead the Bulls to three AAC regular season titles, three AAC Tournament titles, and eight NCAA Tournament appearances – winning a conference title every year from 2017-21 while making five straight NCAA appearances during that period. Brown helped lead the Bulls to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010, a program-record 16 wins and program-best NCAA Tournament third-round appearance in 2019, both conference regular season and tournament titles in 2020, and a string of 10 straight seasons with 10 or more wins (2012-21). Brown has helped lead the Bulls to every NCAA appearance in program history, including two appearances in the second round, and three AAC Championship Game appearances.
As associate head coach, he mentored the program's first All-American and recent USF Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Evelyne Viens, who went on to earn three total All-America honors and an Olympic gold medal with the Canadian National Team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Goalie Sydney Martinez (2020) and forward Sydny Nasello (2020 and 2021) also earned All-America honors and were among the Bulls that have earned a total of eight AAC Offensive Player of the Year, AAC Midfielder of the Year, AAC Defensive Player of the Year or AAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Players he has coached hold every program's individual record and most, if not all, of the top 10 marks in every category.
– #GoBulls –
