TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 14, 2024) – No dramatic buildup or false enthusiasm is needed for the University of South Florida women's soccer season opener on Thursday night at Corbett Stadium.
 
Under first-year head coach Chris Brown, the Bulls are challenging the Florida State Seminoles, the defending national champions, who went 22-0-1 last season.
 
"We had a home-and-home with FSU set up and we were trying to determine when we'd play in Tampa,'' Brown said. "It was either opening day or trying to find another time. I just said, 'You know what? Let's get them right off the bat.' It's a great opportunity for the community to see the reigning national champions at our home field.
 
"I know some people might say, 'Whoa! That's a heck of a way to start the season.' But maybe we can be more organized than they are. Maybe we get them at the right time before they work out the kinks. There were more pros than cons to playing them early. The biggest thing is it's a showcase for our program. It's a great night for the fans. Let's try to set an attendance record.''
 
Brown said "It's not a make-or-break moment'' for USF women's soccer. The primary goal is winning the American Athletic Conference and reaching the NCAA Tournament.
 
"If we're fortunate enough to get a result against FSU, what a great springboard it could be for our season,'' Brown said. "Either way, it's great competition and a very valuable opportunity for our group to gauge where we are in the season's early stages.''
 
USF is 0-11-1 all-time against FSU, although seven of the matches were decided by one goal.
 
Beating the defending national champions would garner huge attention for USF, which has accomplished that feat seven times in other sports.
 
1984: Coach Dan Holcomb's men's soccer team defeated top-ranked Indiana 3-1 at the Tampa Classic, ending the Hoosiers' 46-game unbeaten streak. The Bulls got goals from Johann Westerhorstmann, Matt Westerhorstmann, and Raymond Perle.
 
1986: Coach Eddie Cardieri's baseball team defeated the second-ranked Miami Hurricanes 7-2 at Red McEwen Field, getting a complete-game performance from Mark Rose, who allowed five hits and struck out 11. Two weeks later, USF defeated UM again, this time 12-4 at Coral Gables as Rose had another complete-game victory seven hits allowed, 13 strikeouts).
 
1997: Coach David Christiansen's men's soccer team defeated St. John's 2-1 in the NCAA Tournament's second round. USF's Brian Waltrip scored the first goal, but the crusher was Jeff Cunningham's rocket just inside the far post with one second remaining until halftime. The Bulls had begun NCAA play with a victory against Florida International, the 1996 runner-up, making USF the first men's soccer program to defeat the previous season's finalists.
 
2002: Cardieri's baseball team twice defeated Miami in Coral Gables, beating the Hurricanes 7-6 (Mike Barclay was 3-for-4) and 13-7 (with Myron Leslie going 3-for-4).
 
2021: Coach Jose Fernandez's women's basketball team defeated Stanford 57-54 in the Bahamas, winning on Sydni Harvey's 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining.
 
Can USF's women's soccer add to that list?
 
Bulls players are excited about the possibilities.
 
"This will set the bar for our season and hopefully we'll get a ton of people in the stands,'' forward Serita Thurton said. "Honestly, having such a challenge right in front of us, it fires me up.''
 
"I think we have to approach it like any other game,'' goalkeeper Leire Herraez Gallach said. "If you don't believe you play them as another team, your mind will drop to the floor and you'll be beaten already. They have more to lose than we do. I think playing them right away is an advantage.''
 
Midfielder Sadie Sider-Echenberg channeled the sentiments of USF football head coach Alex Golesh.
 
"He said, 'Alabama has to play USF (in football),' so Florida State has to play USF (in women's soccer),'' Sider-Echenberg said. "Big players and big teams want to play in big games. From a competitive standpoint, you couldn't ask for more. We will be ready for the challenge.''
 
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 –