Scoring drought continues

The USF women’s soccer team has a goal: They need to score more goals.

Any goals.

The Bulls (1-3-2, 0-1-0 C-USA) lost their first home game of the season 1-0 in their Conference opener against Louisville on Friday.

In six games, USF has scored four times and has been shut out three times.

“We have to generate better scoring opportunities. We can’t look for those long-range, 35-yard bombs and hope for a Hail Mary,” coach Logan Fleck said. “So, when we can string five passes together, which I know we can, and we start to run off the ball and play it in the box, we will score goals.”

Louisville’s Jamie Craft scored the first goal of the game, which bounced off a defender to roll past USF goalie Breck Bankester.

“(Craft) was opportunistic and got a good goal,” Fleck said.

The Cardinals (6-2-0, 1-0-0 C-USA) out shot the Bulls in the first half 9-5. In the second half, USF came back with nine shots on goal versus Louisville’s five.

“We were playing with confidence at times and showed different things that can absolutely show that we can play well,” Fleck said. “And there are other times when we don’t play collectively as a good group.”

Louisville’s Lauren Podvin had 5 failed shots on USF as the Cardinals won their fourth straight on the road.

USF’s Erin Dafeldecker and Tara Escribano both had two shots for the Bulls, who never seriously threatened Louisville’s unyielding defense.

“We’ve got to get in the box, we’ve got to get it across, get it across and score simple goals,” Fleck said. “And when we do that, we’ll end up winning one.”