LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (November 4, 2024) – Anna Sutter netted the game-winning goal and keeper Leire Herraez Gallach blanked the University of North Texas Mean Green (7-6-6) on Monday afternoon as the University of South Florida Bulls (12-2-4) earned a 1-0 victory in the opening round of the 2024 American Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship at the Premier Sports Campus.
 
Monday's victory propels No. 2 seed South Florida into the semifinals of the tournament in a matchup against the No. 3 seeded ECU Pirates (9-3-6) on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Lakewood Ranch.
 
Sutter, who was named Second Team All-AAC on Sunday, broke the scoring seal with the lone goal of the contest in the 11th minute of play. Ava Rightmire provided the assist.
 
Herraez Gallach, the AAC Goalkeeper of the Year, recorded three saves in her 11th shutout of the season. USF's collective defense has posted 12 clean sheets this season.
 
 
Notable

• Sutter leads the Bulls with eight goals this season.
• Rightmire recorded her third assist of the year.   
• Georgia Brown logged all 90 minutes on the pitch on the defensive end to contribute to the clean sheet.
• Head coach Chris Brown, in his first season, tallied his first postseason win while guiding the Bulls to their first AAC Tournament victory since 2021.

 
 
Next Up
The Bulls and Pirates will square off for a trip to the AAC Championship Game on the line Thursday, November 7 at 4 p.m. at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch. South Florida defeated ECU on the road during the regular season, 3-0, in October.

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 –