The USF women's lacrosse team expected a nail-biting opening game in the American Conference tournament. Yes, the Bulls were the No. 1 seed, but they had only beaten Temple by one goal in the regular season and they were facing Temple’s Riley Horoshko,, the conference Goalkeeper of the Year.
No problem.
The Bulls jumped on Temple early, scoring five first-quarter goals and cruised to a 13-7 victory that earned USF's second consecutive trip to the conference finals on Saturday in only the second year of the program.
The Owls came into the tournament with four straight wins but the Bulls dominated the early play in building a lead that proved insurmountable.
USF is ranked No. 14 in the NCAA's RIP rating, so the Bulls might not need to win Saturday's championship game against James Madison or East Carolina. The Bulls have beaten both teams in the regular season, but don't want to take any chances if they liose in the tournament final.
Did someone order a hatty? Grizz just delivered 🎩 pic.twitter.com/91TvR8kesa
— USF Women's Lacrosse (@USFWLAX) April 30, 2026
The game against Temple was a landslide for USF from the start. The Bulls led 5-0 after one quarter and 8-2 at the half. They rebuffed Temple's scramble for a comeback in the second half. Sofia Chepenik and Elisse Grisette had three goals apiece to lead the Bulls.
With the win, USF continued the remarkable launch of the program under head coach Mindy McCord. Now, the Bulls are just one win away from clinching a berth in the NCAA tournament.
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