South Florida Women’s Soccer Battles North Texas to 1-1 Draw in Conference Opener

Thursday, September 17

Denton, Texas

8:00 P.M. (ET)/ 7:00 P.M. (CDT)

University of South Florida

2-4-2, 0-0-1

North Texas

4-3-2, 0-0-1

Team	1	2	Final F
South Fla.	1	0	1
North Texas	0	1	1

Match Notes

South Florida Women’s Soccer Battles North Texas to 1-1 Draw in Conference Opener

September 17, 2026 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

McKenna Battilla records her first collegiate goal

DENTON, TEXAS. (September 17, 2026) – The South Florida women's soccer team opened American Conference play on the road, taking on North Texas. The Bulls (2-4-2) and the Mean Green (4-3-2) battled through a physical 90 minutes, creating chances and pressure throughout a hard-fought conference opener.

The Mean Green applied pressure early, creating a scoring opportunity just two minutes in, but the shot sailed wide of the goal. North Texas continued to attack in the opening minutes, forcing Gaby Rourke into action in the fourth minute, when she made her first save of the night.

North Texas kept the pressure on the Bulls, firing off multiple shots early in an attempt to break through. In the 10^th minute, South Florida nearly found the opening goal when Brooke Fabri put together the Bulls' best chance, but her shot struck the post and stayed out.

The Bulls broke through in the 27^th minute when McKenna Battilla scored her first collegiate goal, firing a shot from just outside the top of the box into the left corner to give South Florida a 1-0 advantage.

Despite North Texas holding an 11-2 edge in shots at halftime, the Bulls led 1-0.

After the break, the match became increasingly physical, with both sides battling for possession.

In the 50^th minute, South Florida was whistled for a foul just outside the box, awarding North Texas a free kick. The Mean Green capitalized, as Payton Annis converted the set piece to level the match at 1-1.

Sophia Cabral had a chance to put the Bulls back in front in the 77^th minute, but a defender blocked her shot. Reese Rupe followed with another strong chance, but goalkeeper Sarah Margaret Seabrook made her first save of the night.

In the 87^th minute, North Texas' Mia Bernard was issued a red card, leaving the Mean Green with 10 players for the remainder of the match. The Bulls looked to capitalize as they searched for the go-ahead goal in the final minutes, but South Florida couldn't find it, and the two teams finished 1-1.

Gaby Rourke delivered a strong performance between the posts, making several key saves throughout the match to keep North Texas' attack at bay and limit the Mean Green to just one goal.

Note-A-Bulls

McKenna Battilla recorded her first collegiate goal
Battilla accounted for three of the Bulls' eight shots on the night
Gaby Rourke played all 9-0 minutes in goal for the Bulls, recording five saves.
The Bulls and Mean Green played to the same 1-1 scoreline in their previous meeting, with South Florida and North Texas once again ending their match in a 1-1 draw.
The draw moves the all-time series to 3-0-2 in favor of South Florida, with the Bulls remaining unbeaten against the Mean Green.

Up Next
The Bulls return home for their home conference opener against Memphis on Thursday, Sept. 24, at Corbett Stadium. The match is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPNU.

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About South Florida Women's Soccer
Chris Brown enters his third 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. South Florida produced six all-conference players. He recorded the most wins in a debut season with 12 wins. Brown followed that success by guiding the Bulls to a 9-8-3 overall record and a trip to the American Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals in 2025, as South Florida earned a first-round tournament victory and secured three selections to the American Athletic Conference Preseason Watch List entering 2026. 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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