TAMPA, Fla. (SMU) – A goal 45 seconds into the match by freshman Allie Thornton proved to be enough, as the SMU women's soccer team used a 1-0 victory to hand No. 15 USF its first loss of the season. With the win, the Mustangs improve to 7-3-0, 1-0-0 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Bulls fall to 8-1-0, 0-1-0 on the season.

"After the TCU game we felt good about how we played and took a lot of positives from it, so tonight we continued what we have been doing all year long and came out on top," SMU head coach Chris Petrucelli said.

"The early goal helped – it gave us the lead and some confidence. USF is a gritty, physical team, and we had to stand up to them [to win] and that's what we did," Petrucelli added.

After a cross attempt by Blair Thorpe was headed away by the Bulls, Hannah Fleet collected the rebound and sent a curling cross into the middle of the box. In traffic, Thornton was able to get above a defender and send a header into the upper near corner from nine-yards out. The goal was Thornton's ninth of the season, while Fleet logged her fourth assist.

Despite a continuous attack by the 15th-ranked Bulls, the SMU defense shut down the pressure to secure the win. Defensively, the backline blocked four shots, and allowed only two corner kicks. Taylor Barg, Taylor Jacksonand Haley Thompson all anchored the backfield, logging a full 90, while Claire Oates ran a complete game in the midfield.

Goalkeeper Catie Brown recorded four saves to preserve the clean sheet, the first of her career.

The Mustangs return to action Sunday as they head to Orlando, Fla., to square off at UCF. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. ET/12 CT.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Mustangs by following SMU women's soccer on Twitter at @SMUSoccerW, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SMUSoccerw, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/SMUSoccerW.

Postgame Notes:

• The game was delayed 1 hour 51 minutes due to weather
• The last time SMU topped a ranked team on the road was Oct. 7, 2012 (2-1 at No. 8 UCF)
• The last time SMU recorded a shutout on the road was Sept. 12, 2014 (1-0 at Colorado State)
• The last time SMU won its conference-opener was Sept. 25, 2014 (3-2 at Houston)
• SMU picks up its first win against USF (1-2-1 all-time)
• SMU is outscoring opponents 32-11. SMU is averaging 3.20 goals per game, while the opposition is averaging 1.10.
• SMU has tallied 174 shots, 88 on goal, while holding opponents to 103 shots, 31 on goal.