![\"Charlotte\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Charlotte200x200.png\")
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Next Game:<\/p>\n
Charlotte<\/p>\n
4\/11\/2026 | 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
\n ESPN+
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\n Apr. 11 (Sat) \/ 1 p.m.
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\n \u00a0Charlotte
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History <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n TAMPA, Fla., April 8, 2026\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The University of South Florida women’s lacrosse team (8-4) battled back from four goals down to tie the game in the third quarter, but ultimately fell to Florida (10-2), 14-8, on Wednesday afternoon at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.\u00a0 Tickets
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\nSouth Florida showed resilience throughout the afternoon, using a four-goal unanswered run that stretched from the second quarter into the third to erase a 7-3 deficit. The Bulls pulled even at 7-7 after goals from Kaitlyn Tartaglione<\/a> and Elise Grissett<\/a> in a span of 32 seconds early in the second half, but the Gators answered with seven of the game’s final eight goals to secure the win.
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\nElise Grissett<\/a> led the Bulls with three goals, while Ava Uphues<\/a> added two. Maggie Newton<\/a> posted a goal and an assist, and Sofia Chepenik<\/a> and Kaitlyn Tartaglione<\/a> each found the back of the net. Natalie Eastwood<\/a> finished with five saves in goal.
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\nHow it Happened
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\nFlorida struck first just 55 seconds into the contest, but South Florida answered right back 19 seconds later when Maggie Newton<\/a> found the net to even the score at 1-1.
\nThe Bulls then grabbed their first lead of the day midway through the opening frame. Following a save by Natalie Eastwood<\/a> and a hustle sequence that included a ground ball from Maddie Morris<\/a> and pressure from Jena Binkis<\/a> in the ride, Elise Grissett<\/a> capitalized with a finish at the 9:09 mark to put South Florida ahead, 2-1.
\nFlorida responded with the equalizer just 28 seconds later and added another at the 5:56 mark, but the Bulls remained within striking distance and trailed just 3-2 after one.
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\nThe Gators opened the second quarter with back-to-back goals to stretch their lead to 5-2, but the Bulls continued to answer.
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\nSofia Chepenik<\/a> got South Florida back on the board at the 12:40 mark with a strong individual effort from behind the cage, and after Florida pushed its lead to 7-3, the Bulls responded with two critical goals before halftime.
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\nAva Uphues<\/a> finished off a feed from Maggie Newton<\/a> at 7:12, and Grissett buried a free-position attempt with 3:56 to play to cut the deficit to 7-5 entering the break.\u00a0
\nSouth Florida came out of halftime with momentum and quickly made its move.
\nJust 1:34 into the second half, Kaitlyn Tartaglione<\/a> scored to make it a one-goal game. Then, only 32 seconds later, Grissett struck again to tie the game at 7-7, capping a 4-0 Bulls run and completing the comeback.
\nFlorida answered at the 10:37 mark to regain the lead, and from there the Gators began to take control. UF added two more goals before the end of the quarter to carry a 10-7 lead into the fourth.
\nThe Gators extended their run in the final quarter, scoring four more times to build a 14-7 advantage.
\nSouth Florida continued to battle until the final whistle, and Ava Uphues<\/a> scored with three seconds remaining to account for the final margin.\u00a0
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\nNote-A-Bulls:
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0Grissett’s Hat Trick\u00a0\u2013 Elise Grissett<\/a> led the Bulls with three goals, recording her second hat trick of conference play.
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0Winning the Margins\u00a0\u2013 South Florida outshot Florida 38-23 and held advantages in ground balls (18-15) and clears (16-for-16).
\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0Turning Up the Pressure\u00a0\u2013 The Bulls forced 14 Florida turnovers and committed just seven of their own.
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\nUp Next
\nSouth Florida returns home to continue conference play on Saturday, April 11, when the Bulls host Charlotte at 1 p.m. at Corbett Stadium.<\/p>\n
\nFans can purchase women’s lacrosse tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at\u00a0USFBullsTix.com<\/a>.
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\nFollow USF Women’s Lacrosse
\nTo stay up-to-date on the latest USF Women’s Lacrosse news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>).
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\nAbout USF Women’s Lacrosse
\nEntering its\u00a0second season, the University of South Florida women’s lacrosse program builds on a historic inaugural year that quickly established the Bulls as a contender in the American Athletic Conference. South Florida opened its first-ever season on Feb. 7, 2025, with a 19\u20136 win over Kennesaw State, setting the\u00a0State of Florida regular-season attendance record\u00a0as 2,386 fans filled Corbett Stadium. The Bulls went on to finish the 2025 season with a\u00a013\u20135 record\u00a0and earned a place in the\u00a0American Conference Championship\u00a0in their inaugural season, ultimately finishing as the league’s runner-up. South Florida also drew more than\u00a010,000 total fans\u00a0to Corbett Stadium during the season. USF named\u00a0Mindy McCord<\/a>, an eight-time conference coach of the year, as the program’s first head coach in May 2022. McCord arrived in Tampa with\u00a0240 career wins\u00a0and a proven record of building successful programs after launching and leading Jacksonville University’s women’s lacrosse team for its first 13 seasons. During her tenure at JU, she guided the Dolphins to\u00a021 regular-season and conference tournament titles,\u00a0eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and back-to-back\u00a0Sweet Sixteen\u00a0berths while developing\u00a013 All-Americans,\u00a081 all-conference selections, and\u00a013 conference Player of the Year honorees. South Florida plays a fast-paced, high-scoring style influenced by the early 1990s Loyola Marymount men’s basketball fast break. That approach ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game, and scoring margin during McCord’s tenure at Jacksonville and continues to shape the Bulls’ offensive identity heading into year two.
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