LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Emma Bates scored her first career goal on a corner kick in the 38th minute before Megan Bradley added an insurance goal in the 83rd minute to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 2-0 victory over American Athletic Conference member South Florida on Sunday at the Home Bank Track & Soccer Complex.
Makenna Garcia faced 14 shots and stopped a pair to notch her first career win in goal for Louisiana (1-0-1), which attempted 10 of its 12 shots in the first half while claiming the initial meeting against USF (1-1-0), which claimed a 1-0 win over LSU in its opener on Thursday.
Bates and Bradley each attempted three shots for Louisiana with Tatum Beck and Bailey Giddings each placing shots on goal.
Playing in 100-degree heat, Louisiana broke open a scoreless contest after converting on the second of two corner kicks. Bates’ corner kick from the near corner glanced off the gloves of USF goalkeeper Arden La-Rose and into the right corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead.
Garcia, playing in her third career match, posted both saves in the second half as she collected an attempt by USF’s Gentiana Fetaj in the 53rd minute and Peyton Vincze in the 59th.
Trailing 1-0, USF sent a ball into the Louisiana 18-yard box before Lauren Bennett poked the ball away and freshman Mary Mueth launched a ball downfield to Bradley, who beat La-Rose to the lower right corner for her second career goal.
Anna Sutter led USF with five shots with Fetaj attempting three.
Louisiana will head out on the road for its next four matches beginning with a Thursday night contest at Grambling. The Ragin’ Cajuns will conclude the second weekend of the season at Stephen F. Austin on August 27 before traveling to face Florida Atlantic (Aug. 31) and Florida International (Sept. 3).
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