TAMPA, Fla. – Auburn and No. 14 South Florida battled evenly for the majority of the match before the Bulls scored in the 90 minute to defeat the Tigers, 2-1, at Corbett Stadium Thursday night.
After allowing a goal four minutes into the contest, goalkeeper Kate Hart and the Auburn (0-1-0) back line held strong against the South Florida (1-0-0) attack as the Bulls were held scoreless for more than 85 minutes before the eventual game-winner. Hart made eight saves in the contest, including five in the second half.
"We started a bit slow and were a bit nervous, but I was really proud of the way we climbed back into the game," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "It was an even game, back-and-forth. Unfortunately, we gave them one more look in the last minute, and credit to the South Florida girl, who finished it brilliantly. It was a heartbreaker for our girls because we really grew into this game. We'll learn a lot and get better from it."
Senior captain Jessie Gerow accounted for the scoring in the contest, while freshman Caroline Peterson recorded her first career point with an assist.
Hailey Whitaker was an aggressor for the Tigers as she accounted for three of the team's eight shots, including a pair on frame. Angeline Daly also fired off a pair of shots and put one on goal.
South Florida struck first as the Bulls scored less than four minutes into the contest, but Auburn settled down and started to create chances midway through the first half. Minutes after checking into the game, Gerow scored the equalizer as she put a header into the back of the net in the 34th minute. Peterson served the corner kick to the top of the six-yard box before Gerow finished past the goalkeeper in the left side of the net.
The score remained 1-1 for the next 55 minutes as the two teams traded chances in the second half and into the later stages of the game.
Sixteen Tigers saw action in the contest, including five who played all 90 minutes. Four players in Hart, Peterson, Sydney Richards and Riley Petcosky made their first career starts in an Auburn uniform, while Brooke Berdan also made her Auburn debut.
The Tigers continue season-opening weekend with a matchup at FGCU (1-0-0) Sunday at 12 p.m. CT in Fort Myers, Fla.