Bulls need victories, help to reach tournament

It’s do or die for the USF women’s soccer team this weekend.Going into the last week of the season, the Bulls are sitting at No. 11 in the Conference USA standings. In order to qualify for the conference tournament, USF will have to win both games and hope another team stumbles to reach the top eight. It won’t come easy.

The Bulls will face Southern Mississippi tonight at 7 and UAB 2 p.m. Sunday.

Momentum is on the Bulls’ side, as the team has only lost one game in the past three weeks. After a 3-6 start, the Bulls have clawed their way back up to a 6-7-2 record, 2-4-2 in the conference.

The Golden Eagles fly into the game with a 6-8-1 record. Junior goalkeeper Leslie Schoeplein has played .500 ball this year, with a 5-5-1 record. However, her record doesn’t reflect her ability, as she has allowed only 14 goals, and collected 71 saves for a 1.23 goals against average. The Golden Eagles (2-5-1 in C-USA) are seeking their third conference berth in four years. However, like the Bulls, the team needs to win both games this weekend for a shot at a bid.

The Bulls will hit the road, traveling to Alabama on Sunday. UAB has played the Jekyl and Hyde card, with a solid 4-2 record at home, but a meager 2-6-1 record away. As of Monday, the Blazers occupied the sixth seed in the conference and are shooting for their sixth appearance in the postseason in the past eight years.