The score stayed even through regulation and two ten-minute overtime periods, and the match ended in a tie despite a stark difference in possession that favored USC.

The Women of Troy had 24 shots in the game compared to the Matadors’ 10, including a 17-4 shot advantage in the final 65 minutes after halftime.

“All of us really wanted to get the win, but I’m just happy we’re moving up instead of getting losses,” Johnson said. “We all committed ourselves to the 1-on-1 defending and just really had each other’s back in recovering on defense.”

The Matadors were kept in the game by last year’s Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, senior Cynthia Jacobo, who recorded 15 saves on the night. USC goalie Caroline Stanley, on the other hand, was rarely tested and recorded just one save.

“I thought we played our best game of the year, ” said USC coach Ali Khosroshahin. “We were able to take care of the ball tonight. When you keep possession of the ball, you limit the chances for the opposition.”

But Northridge did manage to break through first when a long ball into the box found the head of forward Brittanie Sakajian, who out-jumped Stanley to put the Matadors ahead.

“They just got around us when they played the ball in,” Khosroshahin said. “Caroline was trying to be a little more aggressive off her line and she just got beat.”

But the lead didn’t even last for two minutes. Johnson, who’s been wearing a boot when she’s not playing, outraced a Matador defender to a ball deep in Northridge territory and unleashed a powerful shot that forced a diving save from Jacobo.

On the ensuing corner kick, junior midfielder Jordan Marada put a ball into the box that got kicked out to Johnson, who launched it through a cluster of Matadors into the back of the net.

“[Johnson] did well for us after not playing at all in the first half,” Khosroshahin said. “Then she came into the second half and didn’t come off again. She definitely made a difference in our attack.”

Back-to-back corners in the 84th and 85th minute gave the Women of Troy two more chances in the waning moments of regulations, but a header from freshman defender Marlee Carrillo was saved by Jacobo and a shot from freshman forward Katie Johnson was blocked by the Matador defense. Two more shots from Samantha Johnson and Carrillo were turned away by Jacobo in the 90th minute to send it into overtime.

“I thought we had a lot of great opportunities in the game, but their keeper made some fantastic saves,” Khosroshahin said.

Samantha Johnson had a chance to get her second goal of the game in the 107th minute, but her shot was knocked wide once again by Jacobo.

That would be the final opportunity of the game, wrapping up a 1-1 tie. USC now owns a 4-0-1 record against Northridge.

“I think tonight was our best possession play, we really kept the ball a lot and tried to limit their long balls,” Johnson said. “We tried to set the tone rather than adjust to the other team.”