TAMPA, MARCH 17, 2025 – University of South Florida women's lacrosse Goalie Paige Pagano earned her second consecutive and third overall AAC Goalie of the Week award of the season.
 
Claire Natoli earned her first Midfielder of the Week award, while Mikaela Ness got her first Defensive Player of the Week award.
 
Sofia Chepenik was also named the Honorable Mention AAC Attacker of the Week for the second straight week.
 
AAC MIDFIELDER OF THE WEEK
Claire Natoli • RFr. • South Florida • Doylestown, Pa.
Natoli contributed on both ends in South Florida's 2-0 week, including a 15-9 win against Temple to begin conference play. Natoli scored her first career goal and added five ground balls against the Owls. Natoli added three ground balls with three caused turnovers in a 16-8 nonconference win against Bucknell. Natoli leads the Bulls with 16 ground balls in their inaugural season.
 
AAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mikaela Ness • Gr. • South Florida • Forest Lake, Minn.
Ness led a South Florida defense that held two opponents to single-digit scoring in a 2-0 week as the Bulls improved to 7-2 in their first season of varsity competition. Ness had three ground balls and a game-high four caused turnovers in a 15-9 win against Temple. She added a ground ball and a caused turnover in a 16-8 win against Bucknell. Ness has a team-high nine-caused turnovers in 2025. 
 
AAC GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Paige Pagano • Gr. • South Florida • Toronto, Ont.
Pagano led the Bulls to two wins as she made a combined 18 saves and allowed 17 goals, going the distance in both games. She had 12 saves in a 16-8 win against Bucknell and added six stops in a 15-9 win against Temple for the first conference win in program history. Pagano leads The American with a .531 save percentage to go with a 9.06 goals-against average in 2025.
 
AAC HONORABLE MENTION ATTACKER OF THE WEEK
Sofia Chepenik • A • So. • South Florida • Palm Coast, Fla.
Scored nine goals with an assist and two ground balls in a two-win week. Had a program record six goals in a 15-9 win against Temple in first conference win in program history.
 
Up Next:
USF will travel to ECU for their second road game of the season on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+.
 
Tickets:
Tickets to watch USF women's lacrosse at Corbett Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
 
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About USF Women's Lacrosse
The University of South Florida announced the addition of women's lacrosse to its now 21-sport varsity athletics department in November of 2021. Fast forward to Feb. 7, 2025, the program embarked on its inaugural season in a 19-6 win over KSU, setting the State of Florida's regular season attendance record (2,386 fans). 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. She led the program to eight NCAA appearances after launching and leading the Dolphins' program over its first 13 years. She developed 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections, and 13 conference Player of the Year honorees during that span, departing JU following to back Sweet Sixteen berths. 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.
 
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