TAMPA, Fla. (September 19, 2024) – The University of South Florida women's soccer team was back on the home pitch for an American Athletic Conference matchup with Rice.
Micahela Hill and
Sadie Sider-Echenberg scored back-to-back goals less than seven minutes apart to propel the Bulls to a 2-1 victory against the Owls.
With the victory, South Florida improved to 6-1-2 overall and 1-0-1 in AAC play, while Rice fell to 7-2-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference action.
Chris Brown earned his first AAC win as the head coach.
The Owls opened the scoring with a Leah Chancey goal in the fourth minute.
The Bulls were unfazed and answered within three minutes.
Sarah Brunner dribbled down the left side of the field and then dribbled into the box. Brunner sent it back to the top of the box where Hill was there to receive the pass. Hill chipped a shot to the near post and by the Rice keeper to tie the match a 1-1.
Sider-Echenberg dribbled into the box and around a defender before she ripped a shot from just inside the box. Her shot beat the diving keeper to the far post for a goal. The Bulls went on top 2-1 at the 14-minute mark.
The Bulls took a 2-1 lead into the half.
The second half turned into a defensive battle as the two sides combined for just seven shots with four of those being on goal. Each side had two shots on goal in the second stanza. The Bulls went on to win the match 2-1.
Defensively, South Florida held Rice to six shots, four on goal, for the 90 minutes. The Owls entered the match averaging 16.4 shots per game, and the Bulls' backline made things difficult most of the night. South Florida outshot the Owls 16-6, with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Hill produced her third goal of the season and the fifth of her career. Sider-Echenberg netted her second goal of the season and the fourth of her career. Brunner notched her first assist as a Bull and the fourth of her career.
Leire Herraez Gallach started the game in goal for South Florida and improved to 6-1-2 on the season. She finished the night with four saves.
Notable
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Chris Brown won his first American Athletic Conference match.
· The Bulls have outshot their opponents in seven of the nine matches.
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Micahela Hill tallied her third goal of the season and the fifth of her career.
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Sadie Sider-Echenberg collected her second goal of the season and the fourth of her career.
Next Up
South Florida hits the road for a conference matchup with in-state foe Florida Atlantic on Thursday, September 19. The Bulls and Owls are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
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 –
