TAMPA, Fla. – There was much joy among members of the USF women’s lacrosse program following last Wednesday’s 23-6 romp of Stetson at Corbett Stadium. After all, the Bulls not only won handily, but it was the final match in a regular season that saw Mindy McCord’s team go 12-4, including 9-2 at home in their inaugural year.
The non-conference win versus the Hatters, in which 11 different Bulls scored, was an impressive way to go into the four-team American Athletic Conference tournament, which gets underway Thursday and is hosted by Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.
READ: USF’s Paige Pagano Turns To Music, Poetry When Not Turning Back Opponents
The No. 2 seed Bulls, who went 4-2 in conference play, will meet No. 3 seed ECU (7-9/4-2) on Thursday evening (7:15/ESPN+). USF defeated the Pirates, 23-9, in Greenville on March 22. The victor will play the winner of top seed and No. 13 James Madison (12-4/6-0) and No. 4 seed Vanderbilt (9-8/3-3) for conference supremacy noon Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Given their No. 40 RPI, the Bulls, who lost at JMU (20-6) and defeated visiting Vandy (17-7), will likely have to be crowned American champs in order to advance to the 29-team NCAA tournament.
“It will be a really exciting time, and we have to take it one opponent at a time,” said McCord, when asked about the conference tourney. “We have to make sure we get our prep in, and we have been good as far as our rest and recovery. We will be ready for it.”
It has been an exciting time for eight seniors who bid adieu to Corbett last week. Juliana George, who scored five goals against Stetson to give her 30 on the season, knows the Bulls will be prepared for whatever comes their way. After all, it is “One team, one dream.”
READ: USF Football Spring Wrap: Byrum Brown’s Hamstring, Locklan Hewlett ‘Really, Really Special’
“That’s what we say before every game, every practice,” said the Glen Mills, Pa. native, who transferred from VCU last fall. “We take a lot of pride in how we go out and execute the things we have been talking about since day one. We learned so much as a team and grew as a team every day. We play for each other, and it shows.”
Alison Harbaugh arrived from Notre Dame in January 2024 and went through a year of practice and exhibitions before letting loose this spring. A memorable season was worth the wait, though there is an opportunity to write another chapter or two.
“Being here has been such a blessing,” said the Baltimore native, who has scored on 11 of her 17 shots on goal. “I have been reflecting on it a lot at the end of this season. I tried to make the most of the last few games and have a lot of fun.”
She certainly checked those boxes and there is no reason to think why Harbaugh and the Bulls cannot accomplish much more this week.
READ: USF Defensive Lineman Josh Celiscar A Married Father Who Reconnected With Alex Golesh
“We are going into the conference tournament as underdogs,” she said. “We have nothing to lose, so try to let it rip and not hold back.”
Corbett was happening
The 2,386 that packed the stands and berm for the program’s inaugural game against Kennesaw State on February 7, a 19-6 victory, was the eighth-highest single-game attendance mark in the NCAA, all divisions, this season. Syracuse had three of the top seven, including a national high 3,622 against Notre Dame on March 23.
USF averaged 991 fans per game to rank third in the NCAA. Syracuse led the way (2,393) followed by North Carolina (1,217) and Northwestern (1,214). The Bulls’ average was more than twice that of the second-leading attendance figure in the American, which was Charlotte with 421.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
