TAMPA, Fla. – Mindy McCord and anyone else who cares about the green and gold would have preferred a tighter game against No. 5 Navy on a very warm Saturday afternoon at Corbett Stadium. Fourteen USF turnovers helped the Midshipmen turn up the heat throughout the day and deliver the Bulls a 19-8 defeat.
“It was our turnovers on the clear game,” said McCord, in what disappointed her following the loss to the Patriot League power. “Our transition game has been pretty solid, but you can’t throw the ball away as many times as we did. It’s a confidence thing. We have to clean that up for sure, but we know how to do it.”
McCord’s squad finished non-conference play 4-2 with the other setback at the hands of then-No. 17 Michigan, 16-10, on February 15 at Corbett. The Wolverines have since ascended into the top 10. No matter where they are ranked, playing such top-shelf opponents can only help USF’s second-year program.
“We want to play these tough (non-conference) opponents because we know what we are capable of,” said Ava Uphues, who scored twice on four shots Saturday and has a team-leading 19 goals. “We know we have a tough conference, so we want to prepare ourselves as best as possible to win those games.”
McCord certainly understands the benefit of scheduling ranked opponents in February and early March.
“I would have liked to have seen (the Navy) game a little more competitive, but these are teams we have to (play) to learn and grow so that we are ready when we get to conference play,” she said. “Our conference is strong.”
The curtain rises on the American schedule when the Bulls travel to Philly to meet Temple on Saturday. The Owls are No. 19 in one poll. James Madison comes to Corbett in two weeks. The Dukes topped the Bulls in the American championship game last year and were the preseason favorite to win the conference again.
Making an impression
McCord cited Uphues among those who have exceeded expectations to this point. Uphues was part of McCord’s first recruiting class and had more than a year of practices and exhibitions before scoring 33 goals during the program’s inaugural season of 2025. With 19 goals in six games, the Alpharetta, Ga. native has found another gear and tied her career high with five goals in a win against Brown on March 1.
“I like to take any shot I can,” said Uphues, who will graduate in May with a degree in marketing. “My teammates set me up well for success. They are always finding me in the middle.”
McCord also cited goalie Natalie Eastwood, who returned from an ACL injury that shelved her last season. The Maryland native has started all six games, is 3-1, and had a season high 10 saves against Brown.
“You never know how that is going to go,” said McCord of returning from such an injury. “She has made stops that she shouldn’t make and has really exceeded my expectations.”
READ: USF’s 2026 Football Schedule: Recalling The Last Time The Bulls Played At West Point
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