Women of Troy kick off Pac-12 play at home

The USC women’s soccer team is set to open Pac-12 play against Oregon State at McAlister Field Saturday.

The Women of Troy are undefeated in their past four games and have a lot of momentum as they prepare for the conference opener.

Not only does the team boast a 5-3-1 record, but it has also simply dominated its in-state competition thus far. The Women of Troy recorded wins against UC Riverside, San Diego, the University of the Pacific and St. Mary’s.

After a goalless draw against Long Beach, head coach Keidane McAlpine noted that his team was playing cerebral, fundamentally sound soccer but needed a goal-scoring spark.

“We’re looking for that one person who wants to take the reins and be the woman to win games for us,” McAlpine said.

Several of McAlpine’s players have stepped up and embraced the team-on-my-back mindset.

Since the 0-0 tie, the team has played two games, scoring five goals and conceding just one in the process. By playing a possession-oriented style, this team has the ability to dictate the pace of the game.

USC’s outstanding play in central midfield has been crucial to the team’s success. It is simply impossible to control the flow of play without having intelligent movement, accurate passing and diligent defending from the center midfielders.

Morgan Andrews and Nicole Molen have impressed this season, while the industrious Sydney Sladek continues to pose problems for opposing defenses.

Behind this midfield engine, the Women of Troy have enjoyed a goal-scoring explosion as of late.

Mandy Freeman, a junior from Royal Palm Beach, Florida, scored her first career goal for the Women of Troy in the 2-0 victory over St. Mary’s. Andrews, meanwhile, converted a pair of penalty kicks against the University of the Pacific in a 3-1 win.

As the team returns home for the Oregon State showdown, the need to preserve home-field advantage becomes an added variable.

“We don’t want to disappoint the Trojan fans that come out during the middle of the day to support us,” Freeman said.

Saturday’s contest should prove to be a well-contested affair, as the Beavers got off to a flying start this season after winning four of their first five games. Like USC, Oregon State is stingy on defense and has played in a number of low-scoring games this season.

This fixture is significant not only because of the importance of winning intra-conference games, but also because the Beavers appear to be knocking on the door of the NSCAA top-25 rankings just as the Women of Troy are.

There is little margin for error in the competitive Pac-12 Conference. Stanford, Washington and Arizona are all accounted for in the top 25 at the moment, and the Women of Troy will get a shot at all three throughout the course of the season.

In the short term, though, the team’s focus is on Oregon State. The opponent may be solid, but the Women of Troy are gelling as the halfway mark of the season approaches.

The back line has been stout, and goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme has only allowed six goals in nine matches.

This matchup does not figure to be a shootout, though, according to McAlpine, who also said that there might only be one goal in this game. But, the chess match will be beyond fascinating.

McAlpine has done a masterful job with his tactics and has become to be known as an expert when it comes to ensuring that the opposition can never establish a rhythm. However, he also knows that the finishing in front of goal will be crucial.

“I think sometimes you lose your focus, you get excited, you lose your patience,” McAlpine said

With possession of the ball and calmness in front of goal, USC will have a real opportunity to challenge a talented Oregon State team.

This Saturday is just the beginning of Pac-12 play, though, as away games against Washington State and Washington sit on the horizon.