TAMPA, Fla. (August 12, 2025) – The University of South Florida women's soccer program has the American Conference's best goalkeeper (Leire Herraez Gallach), the league's best midfielder (Sadie Sider-Echenberg), and six returning all-conference players in all.
 
Only two points separated the Bulls (four first-place votes) from the front-running Memphis Tigers (six first-place votes) in the league's preseason coaches poll, so expectations are high.
 
Are the Bulls a championship-worthy team?
 
"Definitely,'' midfielder Gentiana Fetaj said.
 
"Absolutely,'' forward Mikki Hill said.
 
"We brought in good players and added to an already great team … so for sure,'' Sider-Echenberg said.
 
Second-year head coach Chris Brown, while appreciating the enthusiasm of his players, took a more measured approach.
 
"Potentially … potentially,'' Brown said. "We absolutely have a lot of talent. But right now, with the season coming fast, I still have a lot of questions. And we're about to find out some of those answers.''  
After a heartbreaking finish to last season — the Bulls were 12-2-5 overall but were shockingly eliminated by East Carolina on penalty kicks in the American Tournament's semifinals — Brown said he knows pure talent can only take a team so far.
 
The Bulls need leadership from its veterans, the successful incorporation of a new-look back line, the expected scoring from its established offensive standouts, and continued stalwart play in goal from Gallach. There's also the question of chemistry since the Bulls have 14 new players (including nine freshmen).
 
USF begins with Thursday night's season-opener at Furman, then continues Sunday night at #21 South Carolina before the Thursday, Aug. 21 road clash against the UCF Knights. After the three-match road stretch, the Bulls return to Corbett Stadium for their home opener against Colorado State on Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.
 
"More so than any team I've been with, the way it ended last season was the hardest one to swallow,'' Brown said. "With the way we were playing, had we gotten into the (NCAA) tournament, I feel like we could've beaten anyone. Not to take anything away from East Carolina and its road to winning the (American) tournament, but anyone who knows soccer and watched that game knows that we dominated it. But the reality is, we didn't finish it off. That's athletics. That's soccer.
 
"I couldn't have asked for more from my players. It was utter domination in my opinion. But their goalkeeper stands on her head. They get one break that leads to a goal. We go to penalty kicks. They make all of their kicks. We miss one of ours. And that was it. I felt gutted for the team. But that's gone, and now we're getting ready for a new challenge. I believe we have the makings of something special, but we might have to work through a few things to get there.''
 
Gallach's goalkeeping skill alone gives the Bulls a defensive edge. Last season, Gallach was fourth nationally in goals-against-average (0.391) and save percentage (87.7), while also tallying 11 shutouts (seventh nationally). After winning the American's Goalkeeper of the Year award, Gallach said her name was on the trophy, but felt it should be shared by the overall defense, led by center back Georgia Brown.
 
Brown has graduated. Maria Bulis (a 15-game starter in 2024) suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring. Meanwhile, the early-season status of Ava Rightmire (17 starts in 2024) remains questionable due to a shin injury, so the Bulls need other defenders to step up. Brown wants to see better organization, especially while defending set pieces, to feel more secure.
 
"We have the necessary work ethic and grit to be successful, but with new faces out there, we will adjust and adapt as needed,'' Gallach said. "We're very capable. We're going to be just fine.''
 
Brown said he expects USF's defense to operate by committee but has been pleased with the work of junior Regan Kelly and sophomore Brooke Fabri, a midfielder last season who emerged as a "bright spot'' after shifting to the back line.
 
Offensively, the load should be carried by Fetaj (three goals, six assists); Hill (five goals, two assists); and Sider-Echenberg (five goals, two assists), each of whom finished with 12 points to tie for second place in scoring behind Anna Sutter (team-high nine goals as a senior).
 
But USF's veterans agree that team success hinges on the little things more than flashy offensive output.
 
"We have to treat every single game like it's important,'' Fetaj said. "Soccer is all about mindset. If we bring the right mindset to the field, we're going to win a lot.''
 
"We're a team, not a bunch of individuals,'' Hill said. "And I think that will carry us very far.''
 
"How it ended last season still doesn't sit well with us,'' Sider-Echenberg said. "But the only thing you can do in sports is learn from it. I feel like it's going to make us that much stronger.''
 
And championship-worthy?
 
"We're capable of it,'' Sider-Echenberg said. "We're good enough. Now we have to go out and do it.''
 
About South Florida Women's Soccer
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Chris Brown enters his second season as USF head coach after a record-setting debut in 2024, leading the Bulls to 12 wins and coaching both the American Athletic Conference Midfielder and Goalkeeper of the Year. Brown spent 17 years as associate head coach (2007–2023), helping USF to three American Athletic Conference titles, eight NCAA appearances, and a 10-year streak of 10+ win seasons. He coached USF's first All-American, Evelyne Viens, now a Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist, and has developed multiple American Athletic Conference award winners. Players under his guidance hold most of the program's records.
 
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