USF's inaugural lacrosse season ends with a disappointing loss in the AAC title game

The American Athletic Conference women’s tournament's championship game did not end as USF wished it would.

Disappointing? Sure.

But deflating? No way. It couldn't be after what this team accomplished in the first year of the program.

The second-seeded Bulls fell to top-seeded James Madison 18-9, and now would have to receive an at-large bid if ithe Bulls want to make the NCAA tournament. That is unlikely.

But in its inaugural season, USF served notice that the new kid in town will be back in this position again and again.

James Madison is ranked No. 12 in the country for a reason. The Dukes jumped in front 3-0 early in the first period, and although the Bulls battled back to tie the score, James Madison pulled away again. That’s what national-caliber teams do.

“I thought USF did a great job trying to battle here in their first year of the program,” Dukes coach Shelley Klaes said.

“But we have the history and we have the pedigree. And we showed that today.”

They also had the memory of losing in the championship game the last two years to the University of Florida. The Gators left the AAC this season to join the Big 12.

Now, USF has a memory of its own. You could see the disappointment on many players faces as they watched James Madison celebrate its accomplishment. That memory will remain and motivate them to see that it doesn't happen again.

It shouldn't be forgotten, however, that the inaugural ride was also filled with much joy.

Bulls coach Mindy McCord built a team with 28 outright or redshirt freshmen on the 40-woman squad. Five freshmen were in Saturday’s starting lineup. The Bulls finished their inaugural season with 13 wins in 18 games and a second-place AAC finish.

It's only going to get better.

They also introduced Bulls Nation to an up-tempo, entertaining style of play, and the fans responded. USF set a state of Florida attendance record when 2,386 fans attended the first regular season game against Kennesaw State.

There is so much to build on for the program after this season. The Bulls’ identity after this season is that of a perennial conference challenger.

McCord, of course, wants to do more than challenge. She wants to win championships, and no one will be surprised when the Bulls do just that.

One random thought on the tournament site on the Old Dominion University campus. It was 84 degrees in Roanoke, Virginia, and the ODU field is covered by artificial turf.

Artificial turf is tough on athletes’ bodies; it’s like falling on a rock pile. It also absorbs heat, magnifying how hot the day was. The on-field reporter for ESPN+ complained about the increasing heat during the afternoon.

Coming from Tampa, USF obviously knows how to play in warm conditions. But it was enough of a problem on Saturday that the conference should re-think playing future tournaments on artificial turf.

If they’re locked into ODU, at least move the championship game to the evening when conditions would be a little more favorable.

Lacrosse players are tough, but why take chances when a championship is at stake?

The Bulls placed four players on the All-Tournament team: Freshman midfielder Kali Cleary, redshirt freshman midfielder Bailey Morris, redshirt junior attacker Maggie Newton, and redshirt junior midfielder Kaitlyn Tartaglione.