USF Women's Lacrosse Defeats Temple in Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Bulls score six goals in the final quarter to secure conference road victory
PHILADELPHIA , Pa., March 14, 2026 – The University of South Florida women's lacrosse team rallied in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon to defeat Temple,11–10, in Philadelphia. The victory marks South Florida's first conference win of the year as the Bulls open conference play 1–0.
South Florida (6-2, 1-0) opened the game with momentum, scoring the first two goals of the contest. Ava Uphues netted the opening score off an assist from Maggie Newton before Sofia Chepenik added a man-up goal to give the Bulls a 2–0 advantage in the first quarter. Temple answered late in the period to cut the lead to 2–1 heading into the second.
The teams traded runs throughout the second quarter. Chepenik restored the lead for South Florida midway through the frame, and Uphues added her second goal of the afternoon to tie the game at 4–4. Temple capitalized on a late free-position opportunity to take a 5–4 lead into halftime.
Temple extended its advantage during the third quarter, scoring three goals while holding the Bulls to one. Bailey Morris cut the deficit to 6–5 late in the period with an assist from Chepenik, but the Owls entered the final quarter leading 8–5.
South Florida responded with a dominant fourth-quarter surge. Maggie Newton opened the frame with back-to-back goals to pull the Bulls within one. After Temple briefly pushed the margin back to two, Kalina Johnson scored twice to tie the contest at 9–9. Elise Grissett then delivered the decisive stretch, scoring twice in the final minutes off assists from Julia Huxtable to give South Florida the late lead and secure the 11–10 comeback victory in the Bulls' conference opener.
Chepenik, Grissett, Newton, Uphues, and Johnson each scored two goals for the Bulls, while Bailey Morris added one. Chepenik and Grissett also contributed two assists apiece. Goalkeeper Natalie Eastwood recorded six saves to earn the win.
Note-A-Bulls:
• Conference Start – The Bulls opened conference play with a comeback victory to move to 1–0 in league action.
• Fourth-Quarter Surge – South Florida scored six goals in the final period to overcome a three-goal deficit
• Balanced Attack – Five different Bulls scored multiple goals in the victory.
UP NEXT
South Florida returns home to Corbett Stadium on Saturday, March 21, for a noon conference matchup against James Madison in Tampa.
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About USF Women's Lacrosse
Entering its second season, the University of South Florida women's lacrosse program builds on a historic inaugural year that quickly established the Bulls as a contender in the American Athletic Conference. South Florida opened its first-ever season on Feb. 7, 2025, with a 19–6 win over Kennesaw State, setting the State of Florida regular-season attendance record as 2,386 fans filled Corbett Stadium. The Bulls went on to finish the 2025 season with a 13–5 record and earned a place in the American Conference Championship in their inaugural season, ultimately finishing as the league's runner-up. South Florida also drew more than 10,000 total fans to Corbett Stadium during the season. USF named Mindy McCord, an eight-time conference coach of the year, as the program's first head coach in May 2022. McCord arrived in Tampa with 240 career wins and a proven record of building successful programs after launching and leading Jacksonville University's women's lacrosse team for its first 13 seasons. During her tenure at JU, she guided the Dolphins to 21 regular-season and conference tournament titles, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and back-to-back Sweet Sixteen berths while developing 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections, and 13 conference Player of the Year honorees. South Florida plays a fast-paced, high-scoring style influenced by the early 1990s Loyola Marymount men's basketball fast break. That approach ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game, and scoring margin during McCord's tenure at Jacksonville and continues to shape the Bulls' offensive identity heading into year two.
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