USF women dominate Austin Peay 6-0 at home

Coming into Friday night's match, the South Florida had a problem: only one player on the squad, Noelle Pineiro, had made it onto the score sheet all season. Pineiro had a respectable three goals in four matches, but it just wasn't enough to get consistent results in the standings. Before Friday, the Bulls had just one win in four outings; that and their scoring drought changed against Austin Peay.

South Florida (2-2-1) erupted for four first half goals and never looked back while coach Denise Schilte-Brown gave playing time to most of her bench in the latter stages of the match. The reserves continued to find the back of the Governors' net during the second half, giving the Bulls a confidence boosting 6-0 win over Austin Peay (1-4-1).

The match was delayed by over two and a half hours by lightning, but despite the late 10:15pm kickoff, the Bulls came out with plenty of energy. They out shot the Govs 11-3 in the first half and kept the visitors under constant pressure. USF worked the ball well and unlike in previous games, their finishing was superb.

In the eighteenth minute, outstanding Canadian freshman Taylor Patterson slipped on the wet turf while making a cut in the opponent's penalty area. She immediately popped back up to only get chopped down from behind, but the referee did not award a penalty. Within a minute Patterson had her revenge when she sent a pass to sophomore Valorie O'Brien who ripped a beautiful thirty yard shot from the left sideline into the far side of the Austin Peay goal. Defender Angelique Waller also assisted on the goal.

USF's second goal came in the twenty-fourth minute when sophomore Rehanna Murani fed a nice pass to a streaking Chelsea Klotz who buried her shot into the back of the net past the helpless goalkeeper.

Just two minutes later Patterson assisted on her second goal of the night. She was on the left wing and hit fellow Canadian Gina Pacheco with a defense splitting pass off the outside of Pattersons boot. Pacheco received the pass on the left side of the Austin Peay penalty area and faked the defender and centered the ball for Noelle Pinero who knocked home her fourth goal this season.

After three goals, coach Schilte-Brown started to empty her bench. Two of those substitutions combined on goal number four in the thirty-fourth minute. Freshman Kelly Campbell dribbled to the visitor's goal line and then spotted an open Brittany Burt [above] at the top of the box. Burt struck Campbell's pass first time just inside the far post.

At halftime, starting goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi was replaced to give backup Gaby Garton some playing time. Lofton-Malachi made two saves in the first half, while Garton was not required to make any during the second.

In the sixty-sixth minute Chantelle Goodson hit a streaking Brittany Burt at the top of the penalty area and Burt calmly put it in the net for her second goal of the night. Just minutes later, Burt nearly had a hat trick when she struck a free kick around the Austin Peay wall and it rebounded off the left post.

The Bulls finished their scoring in the eightieth minute when junior Alejandra Santos found Lindsey Krakower at the back post and Kraower put her shot past the goalkeeper.

South Florida used twenty-six players in the match, several seeing their first action of the season. The Bulls next match is Sunday in Orlando against UCF, before returning to home for Thursday's match against Marquette which will be their first Big East Conference match of the year.