ECU Athletic Media Relations

TAMPA, Fla. — The East Carolina women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision at USF in American Athletic Conference action and the final regular season game Sunday afternoon.

The Pirates fell to seventh place in the league standings and will next travel to the home site of second-seeded Memphis, where they will take on No. 10-seed Houston on Friday, Oct. 31 in an American Conference Tournament play-in game. The winner of that match will face Memphis in a quarterfinal matchup Sunday, Nov. 2.

USF (11-6-1, 6-3-0 American) pressured the ECU defense early, and in the 21st minute, a pass through the heart of the Pirate back line found a sprinting Sarah Miller, who made a move to the left of a charging Erika Lenns, before getting past and slipping a shot into the goal to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.

South Florida continued its aggressive attack, producing another drive into the East Carolina (10-7-1, 4-5-0 American) defense, where Ocean Parr touched a shot to Lenns’ right side that hit the post and bounced back toward the field of play, but was corralled by the Pirates’ goalkeeper.

The Bulls took their 1-0 lead into halftime, along with a 10-5 advantage in shots. Lenns made four saves through the first 45 minutes of action.

USF doubled the lead with its second goal of the match just 2:44 into the second half on a goal by Olivia Chance, but ECU attempted to respond immediately, pinning the Bulls deep in their own territory on its first possession. East Carolina earned its first corner kick of the match, but sophomore forward Lana Spitler’s cross sailed over the goal box and was not redirected toward the USF net.

The Pirates threatened once again in the 58th minute when senior defender Kelly Miller raced forward to join the offensive attack and hit a shot that struck the crossbar and ricocheted back into play. ECU earned another corner kick, but it was cleared by the Bulls’ overloaded defensive unit.

Facing desperation in search of a late rally in the final minutes of regulation, and pushing nine players forward, Spitler took a final corner kick for East Carolina that landed directly on the right foot of senior Lexi Herring just six yards away and central to the net. Herring got off a low shot that deflected off the foot of the last USF defender, who had nothing but nylon behind her, as the ball was cleared and the Bulls held on for the 2-0 victory.

South Florida outshot ECU 13-7 overall and 7-1 in shots on goal, while corner kicks were tied at four apiece. Spitler and Miller led the Pirates with two shots each, as Frey had the team’s lone shot on goal. Lenns finished the day with five saves.