No. 7 women’s soccer hosts second round of NCAA tournament
USC women’s soccer welcomes Texas A&M to McAlister Field on Friday for the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 7 Women of Troy (15-4-1) grabbed an opening-round victory last week taking down Eastern Washington 3-1, and they are looking to keep their championship hopes alive with a win over the Aggies.
Julia Erickson | Daily Trojan
All on the line · Senior forward Morgan Andrews and the Women of Troy are hosting their second game of the NCAA tournament on Friday when they face off against Texas A&M in the second round.
After going on a 12-1 midseason tear, USC stumbled going into the tournament, going 1-1-1 in its final three games and losing to UCLA in the regular season finale. But head coach Keidane McAlpine was impressed with his team’s rebound against the Eagles.
“We gained some confidence as a team in what we were doing,” McAlpine said. “Then, slowly but surely, you get in rhythm and the game starts to take shape for you.”
Now, the Women of Troy’s focus shifts to Texas A&M. The Aggies won’t blow anyone away with their 12-8-1 record, but they advanced further than USC in last year’s tournament, when they lost to Florida State in the Elite Eight. Needless to say, McAlpine wasn’t about to underestimate his team’s opponent.
“I think they’re a team that’s hungry. They feel like their season was taken from them a bit with injuries,” McAlpine said. “They’ll come out here with a very experienced and determined performance.”
Going up against a veteran squad in the postseason is always a challenge regardless of the team’s record, so McAlpine was happy to make the Aggies come to Los Angeles instead of flying his side out to College Station.
“They get to stay in class, which is always good for them,” he said. “It calms their nerves a bit in terms of their everyday load, so that’s massive for us.”
McAlpine listed more advantages that could give the Women of Troy a crucial edge on their home field, from the impact of the fans to players being able to sleep in their own beds.
“They just accentuate the performance,” McAlpine said. “They make it a little bit easier to go out and perform well.”
Of course, continuing to advance in the tournament also gives USC seniors extra opportunities to run onto the McAlister Field pitch. McAlpine said that motivation drives both veterans and younger players on the squad.
“I think that’s always a special thing for [the seniors],” McAlpine said. “You play your last game, and then all of a sudden you get another one. We’re going to try to get them as many as we possibly can.”
The Women of Troy kick off against the Aggies at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The game will be broadcast from McAlister Field on the Pac-12 Network.