DELAND, Fla. – The competition continues heat up as Stetson prepares for a trip to Tampa, Florida to face South Florida before welcoming #9 Lipscomb to the ATC Saturday night.
 
"When you play USF, you're playing an in-state rival," head coach Emmett Rutkowski said "It's a team that in the all-time series has had Stetson's number. Our hope is that we go there and our guys have a big chip on their shoulder. We had a much better showing last year, and we need to go out and get a win. We have to go back to winning some games and playing a complete 90 [minutes] and that starts with a good midweek game."
 
South Florida is undefeated in its last five matches which includes a win over ranked AAC opponent Tulsa, 2-1. The Bulls have peppered the net in a way similar to the Hatters with eight players making their marks on the score sheet. Freshman forward Alex Sannes is the only member of the squad with multiple goals on the season, notching a goal against FAU and Mercer. USF registered eight assists on those nine goals with Shion Soga, Marcus Victorio and Gabrielle Privitera sharing the top spot on the squad with two each. Jackson Weyman has played every second between the pipes for the Bulls with a 3-3-3 record.
 
"It's a must win playing Lipscomb even though they're 4-0 in the conference," Rutkowski said about Saturday's contest. "Their only loss is Kentucky and some have them as the top team in the country right now. You're playing one of the top teams, they're in the top 15 or 10 in the polls and it's one of the best Lipscomb teams I have seen. I believe they are on par with any team we've played in the last few years. We have to go out, be fearless, be tough, and start hot."
 
Lipscomb represents the toughest test on the Hatters schedule. The ninth ranked team in the country will enter Saturday's match at 9-1-1 with an 11-day break between games. The Bisons took down Mercer in their last contest, 3-1. The only teams to put dents into LU's record is #5 Kentucky and Belmont, the later of the two holding the match to a scoreless draw. The quality of the opponent is reflected at the top of the ASUN league categories. The Bisons are first in goals scored (29), assists (31), shots (207) and clean sheets (6). Senior forward Jelldrik Dallman has been running away with the league's golden boot with 10 goals on the year, four clear of the field which the highest is his teammate freshman forward Malachi Jones. Michael Sibley has spent all but three minutes 12 second in the net for the Bisons with five shut outs, one combined with backup Jordan Marwood.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS. Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.