Bulls Hit The Road For No. 14 UF and UGA

[Brad]

Courtesy USF

Bulls Hit The Road For No. 14 UF and UGA

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida women’s soccer team (0-0-1) will face the first of its seven nationally-ranked opponents this weekend when the Bulls travel to Gainesville on Friday to play the No. 14 Florida Gators (1-1-0) at 7 p.m. at James G. Pressly Stadium. USF will then hit the road to play the Georgia Bulldogs Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. in Athens. 

The Bulls are 0-1-0 all-time against the Gators, and will be playing their first-ever game against the Bulldogs.

The No. 14 Florida Gators are 1-1 this year with a season-opening 1-0 victory over Indiana, then a 2-0 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame in Gainesville last weekend.

In 2006, Florida posted a record of 14-6-5, winning its seventh Southeastern Conference team title with its 7-1-3 league record. Last season the Gators advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, losing 3-2 at UCLA. The Gators scored 47 goals in 2006 and the team returns the scorers for 45 of those goals. Senior Stacy Bishop led the Gators with 12 goals, six assists and 30 points in 2006. 

On Sunday the Bulls will face the Georgia Bulldogs, who are unbeaten after a two-win showing at the Nike Invitational Challenge held in Athens. Georgia defeated Texas Tech 4-1 in the season opener Aug. 31, then beat Wisconsin 3-1 on Sunday. The Bulldogs face Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 6, before USF hits the Turner Soccer Complex on Sept. 9. 

Georgia is coming off of its second-straight winning season, posting a 10-9 record, including a 7-3 mark at home. The Bulldogs ended the 2006 season after being knocked out of the SEC Tournament, in the first round, by Florida. Carrie Patterson, a SoccerBuzz Freshman All-American in 2006, led the Bulldogs in 2006 with 12 goals and seven assists in 19 games. 

USF is unbeaten this season, following a double overtime 0-0 draw with Ole Miss on Sept. 2 in Oxford, Miss. Junior forward Lindsay Brauer led the Bulls offensively, taking two shots, one on goal, while sophomore midfielder Rachel Jakubowski had one shot on frame. Sophomore goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi made three saves in her first start as a Bull, playing the entire contest. 

The Bulls continue their seven-game road series next weekend by playing at Miami on Sept. 14 and at Florida Atlantic (Boca Raton) Sept. 16. 

USF’s home opener is September 28 when the Bulls face off against the preseason No. 17 Connecticut Huskies at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for that game are $5 for adults, $3 for youth 16-and-under and $2 for groups of 10 or more and are available on www.GoUSFBulls.com or by calling 1-800-GoBulls.  Season tickets are also available.