Colleges: No.5 Notre Dame squashes USF's hopes

The University of South Florida women’s soccer team was looking forward to the challenge of facing No.5 Notre Dame in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.

With half-an-hour of the contest gone, and the Fighting Irish’s Melissa Henderson having already scored a hat trick, the Bulls may have been wondering if they should have been careful what they wished for, as they saw their season come to a crashing end. Notre Dame added another pair of goals before halftime, and advanced to the tournament semifinals with a 5-0 victory at Alumni Stadium.

“That was a really well-executed and decisive effort for us,” Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum said. “When you get into the conference tournament, and particularly when you're coming in off a bye while the other team has had a chance to play already, there's a concern that you might come out flat or unfocused. But we were sharp right from the opening kickoff, we got the early goal and we kept putting the pressure on them.”

Notre Dame took the lead in the 11th minute, as Julie Scheidler’s cross from the right found Henderson at the penalty spot, and the Irish’s leading scorer turned and fired home. The Irish doubled their lead five minutes later, an angled ball from the right side of the penalty area from Lauren Fowlkes finding Henderson for a volleyed finish.

Henderson completed her hat trick in the 29th minute, capitalizing when Bulls goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi was unable to take a cross cleanly to score her 11th of the season.

Fowlkes then scored her eighth of the season before Lofton-Malachi was substituted for Gaby Garton, a disappointing end to a standout career for the Bulls senior goalkeeper. Garton allowed the Irish’s fifth goal, scored by Ellen Jantsch in the 39th minute, and made four saves after coming on.

While the end to their season came in disappointing fashion, the season as a whole should be viewed as a success for the Bulls.

For a start, they finished the season 9-8-3 overall, the first time the Bulls have finished above .500 for a season since 1999. In addition, of the team's seniors, only Lofton-Malachi saw major playing time for the Bulls this season, giving Coach Denise Schilte-Brown players who progressed greatly over the course of this season to continue to build around in the spring and next season.

Foremost in these is the sophmomore strike duo of Chelsea Klotz and Noelle Pineiro, who combined for 16 goals this season, and junior Angelique Waller, who was outstanding in defense for the Bulls all season. Add in the experience gained by players like Gina Pacheco, Bahar Sansar, Rehana Murani and Taylor Patterson, all of whom could represent Canada in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 2010 Under-20 World Cup in Germany, and the Bulls appear to have a bright future.

College Women's Matchday: DePaul at South Florida

WHEN: Thursday, 7:30 p.m., USF Soccer Stadium

NEED TO KNOW: South Florida will look to get off to a winning start to the postseason as it host DePaul in the first round of the Big East conference. The Bulls dropped their final two regular season contests to miss out on a first-round bye, but are eager to play at home to try and get back on a winning track.

The Bulls and Blue Demons didn’t meet in the regular season. The Bulls won their last meeting 1-0 last season, Chelsea Klotz scoring the only goal of the game. Klotz leads the Bulls with eight goals, already doubling her output of a season ago, while Noelle Pineiro has six goals and five assists.

The Blue Demons finished 5-6 in Big East play, ending the season with a 1-0 defeat against Villanova. DePaul has fared better at home than on the road, going 4-6-1 in its travels this season as opposed to 6-2-1 at home. Tara Strickland has been the Blue Demons main source of offense, with seven goals and six assists on the season, which put her tied for fourth in the Big East with 20 points.

Colleges: Bulls drop second straight, miss out on tournament bye

South Florida had its eyes on a bye and home game in the Big East tournament quarterfinals next weekend.

The Bulls will get a home game to open the playoffs, but it will be against DePaul on Thursday night as a late goal by Tina Romagnuolo gave Syracuse a 3-2 victory on Sunday afternoon, dropping the Bulls into fourth place in the Big East American division standings.

Romagnuolo gave the Orange the lead in the 11th minute, scoring from the left side of the penalty area after being found by a cross from the right by Casey Ramirez. Syracuse the doubled its lead in the 53rd minute as Tessa MacDougal converted from the spot after a USF handball in its penalty area.

The Bulls hit back, Noelle Pineiro proving critical as she earned assists on both Bulls’ goals. Chelsea Klotz was the first recipient of Pineiro’s creativity, scoring her eighth goal of the season in the 64th minute, and Angelique Waller tied the game with a header from Pineiro’s corner 13 minutes later.

But the Bulls couldn’t complete the comeback as Romagnuolo picked the ball up off a throw-in, beat her defender and shot home for her ninth goal of the season.

The win was the second straight for the Bulls, who will need to regain their form quickly as they prepare to face the Blue Demons. DePaul lost 1-0 to Villanova in its final game of the regular season on Sunday.

Colleges: Bulls fall in overtime to Red Storm

South Florida saw its chance to win the Big East American division title likely slip away as St. John’s scored in the second minute of double-overtime to win 1-0 and jump the Bulls in the standings.

Courtney Lane scored the game-winning goal, finishing a move started by midfielder Amanda Pasciolla. She found Vailla Barsley, who took a touch and found Lane at the top of the penalty area, and Lane fired her shot into the right corner of the net past an outstretched Mallori Lofton-Malachi in the 102nd minute.

The Bulls (8-6-3, 5-3-2 Big East) only need a point from their final game against Syracuse to secure their place in the Big East tournament, and if results go their way they could still earn home field for the quarterfinals. The loss, though, was a tough one as the Bulls had entered on a three-game winning streak.

The Red Storm (12-4-1, 6-3-1) had had the better of the game in regulation, and Lofton-Malachi did well to keep the game scoreless making five saves. The Bulls chances were limited, Taylor Patterson finding room for a pair of shots that tested St. John’s goalkeeper Kristin Russell, but the Bulls were at their most dangerous in the first period of extra time as Patterson and Valorie O’Brien each had shots saved while Chelsea Klotz and Noelle Pineiro both sent chances wide.

College Women's Matchday: South Florida at St. John's

WHEN: Friday, 4 p.m., Belson Stadium

NEED TO KNOW: South Florida faces a tough test to open its final weekend of the regular season, with St. John’s trailing the Bulls and Marquette by just one point in the Big East American division.

The Red Storm lost their last contest to fall into third place in the division, but with games against the Bulls and Golden Eagles to close the regular season, can jump back over both to win the division crown. The Red Storm has been particularly tight defensively, with goalkeeper Kristen Russell holding a 0.61 goals against average. That has been aided by her back line, which allows only 3.69 shots on goal per game.

Looking to break down the St. John’s defense will be Chelsea Klotz, who leads the Bulls with seven goals. The Bulls have been far better in attack this season, Noelle Pineiro adding six goals, as the Bulls have already scored 10 more goals than in 2008. A big key to that has been the creativity of the Bulls midfield, which has seen Taylor Patterson record five assists and Pineiro, Gina Pacheco and Rehana Murani add three apiece.

College Women's Matchday: No.24 Connecticut at South Florida

WHEN: Sunday, noon, USF Soccer Stadium.

NEED TO KNOW: South Florida will try to rebound from a loss to Providence as it faces UConn in its final home game of the regular season. The Bulls close the season with a four straight road games over the upcoming two weekends.

South Florida (5-5-3, 2-2-2 Big East) saw its five-game undefeated streak come to an end as the Friars earned a 1-0 victory on Friday night. The now face a Huskies squad that is also looking to rebound after a 3-2 double-overtime loss to Marquette on Friday night. UConn currently sits second in the Big East American division, six points ahead of the Bulls.

The Huskies (9-4-0, 4-2-0) average two goals per game, Linda Ruutu and Melissa Busque tied for the team lead with six goals apiece. Busque has also added five assists, putting her tied for fifth place in the Big East in scoring with 17 points.

Noelle Pineiro leads the Bulls with six goals, her last goal coming two weeks ago in a 2-1 win against West Virginia. The Bulls hold a better goals-against-average than the Huskies having conceded only 0.85 goals per game. Goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi is tied for fourth in the conference with a .861 save percentage.

Colleges: USF Women continue undefeated run, tie with No.13 Rutgers

TAMPA – South Florida’s women extended their undefeated streak to five games, and picked up another point in Big East play, but were unable to break down the tough defense of No.13 Cincinnati as the two teams played to a 0-0 tie at the USF Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“I think we worked hard as a team,” Bulls goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi said. “Or course we would have liked to score, but we got a point against a ranked team, a good Big East team. In the Big East, when you come out with a point, it’s almost like a win, so I don’t have any problem with it.”

Lofton-Malachi recorded four saves for her fifth shutout of the season, and was a dominant presence in her penalty area all game, catching cleanly to snuff out Rutgers’ set piece opportunities. Bulls coach Denise Schilte-Brown said she thought Lofton-Malachi’s confidence in net reflected on the team as a whole, as the Bulls were for good periods of the game visibly the better team.

“Mallori was really good today again,” Schilte-Brown said. “I think that we felt Mallori’s confidence the whole game, and that continued, and that was pretty exciting.”

While the Bulls were able to control large spells of possession, with Valorie O’Brien and Bahar Sansar doing an excellent job in the center of midfield, the Scarlet Knights’ defense sat deep for the most-part, not allowing much space for Chelsea Klotz, Noelle Pineiro and substitute Kelly Campbell to find room in behind them. Taylor Patterson also threatened down the left side, twice appearing to have broken the Scarlet Knights’ offside trap early in the second half, but both times drawing a whistle.

That spell of play early in the second half, which also saw a cross by Patterson deflect off the top of the crossbar, had Schilte-Brown thinking a goal was forthcoming for her side.

“I felt like we were moving the ball and doing the right things, and we had more energy on the Sunday again than the other team,” Schilte-Brown said.

Rutgers did threaten later in the game, and in both overtime periods, but South Florida’s defense proved as hard to crack as the Scarlet Knights’.

The performance left Lofton-Malachi feeling good about where the team is as it prepares for another pair of home games next weekend.

“I think we’ve got something special this year,” Lofton-Malachi said. “I mean, you look back and we played Seton Hall my freshman year and we lost 2-1, 3-1, I don’t remember. We played Rutgers my freshman year and lost 5-0, so we’ve turned around and beaten Seton hall and tied Rutgers, a ranked team, it’s working. I think we may have finally got it.”

Colleges: Klotz gives Bulls victory over Pirates

After being held in check by a resolute Seton Hall defense for almost the entire game, South Florida’s women grabbed victory in the 84th minute as Chelsea Klotz’s 20-yard strike gave the Bulls a 1-0 win over the Pirates on Friday night at the USF Soccer Stadium.

As she has been frequently for the Bulls (5-4-2, 2-1-1) of late, Klotz was a danger all night, recording four shots for the game. It wasn’t until late, though, that she was finally able to break through.

After picking up a pass from Noelle Pineiro just outside the penalty area, Klotz created herself space against a pair of defenders, and then fired a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.

The goal was sophomore Klotz’s fourth of the season, equaling her total from a season ago.

Until that point, the game had not seen too many scoring opportunities. Mallori Lofton-Malachi had to be sharp at times, recording four saves, but for the most part Seton Hall (4-6-1, 0-3-1) appeared happy to sit back and try and absorb pressure defensively. Despite the Bulls finishing with 10 shots, Pirates goalkeeper Jennifer Pettigrew was only forced into three saves before Klotz’s goal.

That won’t matter a bit to South Florida, though, which moved into third place in the Big East American division with the win, and will now face No.13 Rutgers on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the USF Soccer Stadium. The Scarlet Knights are 3-0-1 in conference play after a 3-1 win against Marquette on Friday night.

College Women's Matchday: Seton Hall at South Florida

WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m., USF Soccer Stadium

NEED TO KNOW: Buoyed by their victory against West Virginia last Sunday, the Bulls continue their homestand looking to string two victories together for the first time this season.

Seton Hall had a tough go of it last weekend, falling to Villanova before earning a draw with Georgetown. The Pirates are still looking for their first win in the Big East, losing both of its conference road games so far. Nikki Gross leads the Pirates with four goals, but they have been susceptible defensively, with starting goalkeeper Jennifer Pettigrew having given up almost two goals per game in eight starts this season.

That will be something Bulls forwards Noelle Pineiro and Chelsea Klotz will be looking to take advantage of. Pineiro scored her sixth goal of the season against West Virginia, and has the most goals by a Bulls player since Lindsey Brauer scored nine goals in 2006. Klotz has added three, but has been a force going forward, leading the Bulls with 28 shots, 17 of which have been on goal, this season.

Colleges: Bulls women rewarded for hard work

TAMPA – After doing everything but find victories against sides like Florida and LSU early on in the season, South Florida’s women are feeling as though their 2-1 victory against West Virginia at the USF Soccer Stadium on Sunday is a reward for the hard work they’ve been putting in over the season so far.

“Definitely,” forward Chelsea Klotz said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’ve been working really hard and winning against West Virginia is huge, and I think it’s going to open the door for more wins against really tough teams.”

The victory was the first for the Bulls in Big East play, having secured a point on the road against Pittsburgh earlier in the week. Bulls coach Denise Schilte-Brown said she thought the positive attitude the team has maintained throughout the season has helped them pull through and reach this point.

“We’ve been real positive with the girls telling them they’re a good team and that they are showing it on the field and doing some really good things when we’re playing some really tough opponents,” Schilte-Brown said. “We haven’t been coming out on the ‘W’ side of things, so to play that game, and work really hard and get the ‘W’, I think it feels like a reward.”

Klotz added that this may be a springboard for the Bulls to push on from, and make a run at returning to the conference tournament at the end of the season.

“We were all really excited, and I think it’s definitely going to push us that much harder to want to beat teams in the conference,” Klotz said. “We want to get to the Big East conference (tournament), and beating West Virginia is a big statement I think to everyone in the Big East, so we’re excited.”

PRIME PINEIRO: Noelle Pineiro had what proved the game-winning goal against the Mountaineers, giving her six on the season, and in turn was named on Tuesday as a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer of the Week.

Schilte-Brown is pleased with the progress Pineiro has shown as the Bulls have employed a more attacking formation this season, while also giving some credit to the players that have allowed Pineiro to achieve her success.

“I think as a freshman she did well, but now her game has been taken to another level,” Schilte-Brown said, “but I think it has more to do with the teammates around her, to be fair. I think they’ve helped her bring her game to another level. It was there last year, it was just that she was farther away from the goal because we were in a deeper system, she didn’t have as many balls being played to her, we’re a better possession team, so we’re keeping the ball for a longer periods of time, which means she’s seeing the ball more.”

Klotz, who played with Pineiro for Tampa-based club RSL Florida before both players came to South Florida, said the work-rate Pineiro has shown this season has also helped her strike-partner find more chances.

“She’s just working that much harder,” Klotz said. “She has great footwork, when she wants to score you know she has great determination, and she’s working so hard to be the best player she can be.”

Colleges: Eagle, Pineiro key Bulls' victory

South Florida’s womens soccer team made a major statement, and may have turned a major corner in their season, as the Bulls earned their first ever win against West Virginia. An early goal by Boo Eagle put the Bulls on top, and Noelle Pineiro scored her sixth goal of the season in a 2-1 victory at the USF Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Eagle’s first goal as a Bull came in the fourth minute as she controlled a free kick by Pineiro and fired her left-footed shot into the net.

The Mountaineers, playing with the wind at their backs, held the bulk of play in the Bulls half before halftime, but were unable to find a way past Bulls goalkeeper Mallori Lofton-Malachi.

Pineiro doubled the Bulls lead with 12 minutes to go, taking a pass from Chelsea Klotz before driving home her shot from 13 yards. Pineiro’s goal proved to important as West Virginia pulled a goal back five minutes later, Carolyn Blank heading home from Nicole Mailloux’s corner.

The Mountaineers were unable to tie the game, though, allowing the Bulls to earn their first Big East win of the season, and even their record overall.

“Today was a great win for our program,” Bulls head coach Denise Schilte-Brown said. “We have had some chances to beat some good teams but couldn't close it out so it was good to close the match out. For us to beat a program like West Virginia really gives the team a lot of confidence.”