TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 7, 2025 – Exactly 1,185 days after the University of South Florida women's lacrosse team was first announced, their campaign officially began with a 1-0 start following a dominant 19-6 victory over Kennesaw State in front of 2,386 fans.
 
Head coach Mindy McCord coached her first Division I game in 997 days, with Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti, University President Rhea Law, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, and Loyola Marymount legend Bo Kimble watching on as the Bulls scored six unanswered goals to start the game.
 
"We've been preparing for this moment for a long time, and to see this team come out with so much energy and execution was incredible," said Head Coach Mindy McCord. "This is just the beginning for USF lacrosse, and I'm so proud of how we played tonight."
 
 
The Bulls wasted no time establishing their presence, jumping out to a 7-1 lead to start the game while not allowing Kennesaw to gain possession over the first 7:28 of the action.
 
Juliana George scored the first goal (unassisted) in program history 48 seconds after the opening draw. Minutes later, Maggie Newton slashed to the net and put the Bulls up 3-0 on the first assist in program history from Alison Harbaugh.
 
USF's fast-paced attack and consistent control of possession continued into the second quarter, pushing the lead to 12-3 by halftime. Juliana George led all scorers at the half with three goals and one assist.
 
The Bulls held control in the second half, outscoring the Owls 7-3. Sofia Chepenik capped off her debut with a game-high six points (four goals and two assists), while Bailey Morris shared the team-high in goals with her (four).
 
Defensively, USF forced 15 turnovers and held Kennesaw State to 21 total shots. South Florida out shot Kennesaw State 37-21. The Bulls cleared 17 of 19 attempts and held Kennesaw to seven of 13 clears.
 
As the clock hit 00:00, McCord was showered with a Powerade bath from her players that they had been envisioning for the past two years. Fireworks capped off the celebration, signaling a bookend to the launch of the 20^th University of South Florida sport.
 
The Bulls now turn the page and start fresh as they travel to Georgia to play Mercer on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.

ABOUT USF LACROSSE
The University of South Florida announced the addition of women's lacrosse to its now 21-sport varsity athletics program in November of 2021. The program embarks on their inaugural season on Feb. 7, 2025. The Bulls named eight-time conference coach of the year Mindy McCord to lead the program in May of 2022. McCord, who came to USF with 240 career wins, earned 21 regular season and conference tournament titles at Jacksonville University and led the program to eight NCAA appearances after starting and leading the Dolphins' program in its first 13 years. She developed 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections, and 13 conference Player of the Year honorees during that span. USF runs a fast-paced, high-scoring offense influenced by the early 1990s Loyola Marymount men's basketball record-setting fast break, which ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game, and scoring margin numerous seasons during McCord's tenure at JU.
 
Follow @USFWLax on X, Instagram, and Meta for all the latest information concerning the USF women's lacrosse program.
– #GoBulls –