Women of Troy search for NorCal upset


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The USC women’s soccer will try to break out of their four-game losing streak with a major upset this weekend, as they head up north to take on No. 8 California on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by another tough match against No. 5 Stanford on Sunday at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

The Women of Troy (5-6-1, 0-3-0 Pac-12) are coming off a pair of losses last weekend, a 1-0 defeat to Washington and a 2-0 setback to Washington State. Strong defense and goalkeeping from junior goalkeeper Caroline Stanley kept the games close, but ultimately the offense was unable to produce, putting up only 3 shots on goal on 20 shots over both contests.

Drought · Sophomore forward Katie Johnson recorded a hat trick against Loyola Maramount on Sept. 15, but hasn’t scored since then. - Nick Entin | Daily Trojan

Drought · Sophomore forward Katie Johnson recorded a hat trick against Loyola Maramount on Sept. 15, but hasn’t scored since then. – Nick Entin | Daily Trojan

The loss sunk USC into a tie with Arizona for last place in the Pac-12.

“For sure, we’re frustrated right now,” junior forward Jessica Musmanno said. “But it’s also an opportunity for us to set things right each time we set foot on the field.”

USC hasn’t scored a goal since Sept. 22 against Cal State Fullerton, when sophomore midfielder Megan Borman scored 37 seconds into the match to give the Women of Troy a 1-0 lead. USC would ultimately lose the contest 2-1 in overtime, starting their current slide. They haven’t been able to find the back of the net three games into conference play, making it a stretch of 360 minutes without a goal. The power outage is especially surprising considering the squad scored 12 goals in the first three games of the season.

“With the rest of the Pac-12 left, that’s all we’ve got,” senior forward Elizabeth Eddy said. “We’ve got to make sure we give it our all each game. We’re really pumped for the weekend and we’re gonna do our best.”

The Golden Bears (9-0-3, 2-0-1 in the Pac-12) are currently tied with UCLA and Utah for first place in the conference. Cal’s strength has been holding strong on defense from the opening whistle; the Bears haven’t allowed a goal in the first half this season, outscoring opponents 10-0 before halftime.

Forward Ifeoma Onumonu, last year’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, leads California with eight goals and 18 points on the season. Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick and Samantha Witteman have six goals apiece, while goalie Emily Kruger has a 0.71 goals against average and four shutouts on the season.

Last year, USC and California faced off at McAlister Field, with No. 21 California squeezing out a 1-0 victory. Onumonu scored the only goal in the 74th minute. USC is 10-7-1 all-time against California, but has lost the past two meetings.

The Cardinal (9-1-1, 2-1-0 in the  Pac-12) are led by Taylor Uhl, the top scorer in the Pac-12 with 10 goals. Courtney Verloo leads the team with five assists to go along with six goals scored.

Stanford and USC competed at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last season, with the Cardinal getting a late break, winning the game 1-0 in double overtime with mere seconds left on the clock. Then-junior midfielder Jordan Marada looked like she scored the game-winner early in the first overtime, but an offsides call gave Stanford a chance to steal the victory.

“I think we’ve all been feeling the urgency for a few weeks now,” USC head coach Ali Khosroshahin said. “It’s just trying to get it back there. I don’t think anyone is complacent. I think we’re all working hard trying to solve the problem.”