TAMPA, Fla., April 11, 2026 – The University of South Florida women's lacrosse team (9-4, 4-0 American) used a 10-goal fourth quarter onslaught in Corbett Stadium on Saturday to take down Charlotte (6-7, 1-3 American) and clinch a spot in the American Conference postseason tournament.
 
South Florida outshot the 49ers 49-22 and won the ground ball battle 29-13. Eleven different Bulls found the back of the net, with Elise Grissett and Ava Uphues each recording hat tricks to go along with Chepenik's five-goal effort.
 
This marked the sixth time in Chepenik's career that she accounted for five or more goals in a game, and her two assists made it a single-game career-high seven points on the day.
 
First Quarter
South Florida wasted little time, as Maggie Newton opened the scoring 1:40 into the game off a Jena Binkis assist. Charlotte answered to tie it at 1-1, but Grissett and Kaitlyn Tartaglione scored on back-to-back possessions — 24 seconds apart — to push the lead to 3-1. Charlotte clawed back to knot it at 3-3 with two goals in the final two minutes, only for Chepenik to beat the buzzer with a goal at the 15-second mark to give USF a 4-3 lead after one.
 
Second Quarter
The 49ers opened the second with back-to-back goals — including a man-up finish — to lead 5-4. South Florida responded immediately. Chepenik scored off a Newton assist to tie it, then Grissett and Chepenik struck on consecutive possessions to put the Bulls up 7-5. Charlotte trimmed it to 7-6 and then 8-7, but Kalina Johnson's unassisted goal with 5:53 remaining sent USF into halftime up 8-7.
 
Third Quarter
Charlotte tied it at 8-8 just 28 seconds into the second half on a Torres free-position goal, but that would be as close as the 49ers would get. USF responded with four straight — Uphues, Julia Huxtable off a Chepenik assist, Chepenik unassisted, and then Chepenik again at the buzzer — to take a 12-9 advantage into the fourth.
 
Fourth Quarter
The floodgates opened. South Florida scored the first four goals of the period to push the margin to 16-9, fueled by a pair of man-up conversions. The Bulls kept coming, scoring 10 goals on 14 shots in the quarter. Lindsey King scored twice in the final four minutes for her first two goals of the season — both assisted — and Madisyn Jokerst capped the scoring with a pair of late tallies, including a man-up finish off a Kadyn Brandt assist with 34 seconds left to make it 22-11.
 
South Florida finished ahead in ground balls (29 to 13), turnovers (14 to 30), shots (49-22), and shots on goal (35-17). The Bulls finished 14 of 16 on clear attempts today.
 
Note-A-Bulls:

• Sofia Chepenik scored five goals for the sixth time in her career and added two assists for a single-game career-high seven points.
• Elise Grissett recorded a hat trick and now has 32 goals on the season.
• Ava Uphues also tallied a hat trick, reaching 33 goals on the year.
• Eleven different Bulls scored on Saturday, with South Florida taking 49 shots to Charlotte's 22.
• USF outscored Charlotte 14-3 in the second half, including a 10-goal fourth quarter.
• With the win, South Florida clinched a berth in the American Conference Tournament.
• Hailey Darko made six saves in 39:23 of work between the pipes, earning her first win of the season.
• Lindsey King scored her first two goals of the season in the fourth quarter.

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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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