Soccer prepares for Oregon road trip


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Junior forward Tara McKeown passes the ball downfield during the Trojans’ game against Washington State last Thursday. (Edison Liu / Daily Trojan)

After dropping two of its last three games, the No. 11 USC women’s soccer team is looking to get back on track this week when it travels north to take on the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. 

The Trojans dropped four spots in the national poll this week after being shut out 2-0 by unranked Washington Sunday at home. The loss marked USC’s first scoreless game at home this season.

Although the Ducks and Beavers have a combined three wins in Pac-12 play this season, USC has struggled in the past with playing at the top of its game against weaker opponents. In Pac-12 losses to Cal and Washington, head coach Keidane McAlpine has echoed the team’s lack of competitiveness and intensity. 

“I’m looking to improve our focus, our intensity, our desire to win – those things, I think, trumped everything else today,” McAlpine said after the loss to Washington. 

History will be on the Trojans’ side when they travel to Oregon. USC has won its last six matches against the Ducks, including a 5-0 win last year. USC has enjoyed similar luck against Oregon State. The Trojans have won their last five matchups against the Beavers and beat Oregon State 5-0 last season. 

With three league losses, USC has now lost more conference games this season than any other season since 2014. Considering USC ranked as high as No. 2 in the preseason, the team will undoubtedly be looking for revenge in its the next couple games. 

Oregon and Oregon State may be in the bottom half of the Pac-12 standings, but the Trojans know how good Pac-12 is through and through. 

According to McAlpine, last weekend served as a reminder that no matter the ranking, any team can beat any other in league play. 

“It’s one of those games that reminds you how good our league is,” McAlpine told USC Athletics. “Our league is phenomenal this year. Our league has some great coaches, a lot of great talent, and if they don’t bring the proper level of energy and intensity and focus to the game, then it’s gonna be a long day.”

With only three games left in Pac-12 play before the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans will need another dominant weekend in order to have momentum when they visit Westwood to face UCLA next weekend. 

When USC faces the Ducks, it will have to keep its attention on Oregon sophomore star forward Jordan Wormdahl. Wormdahl leads the Ducks with seven goals on the season.

The Trojans have struggled keeping stars out of the back of the net this season. Redshirt junior goalie Kaylie Collins has posted three shutouts this season and hopes to return to Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year form after only recently returning to the field from injury. USC will rely on Collins to shut down Wormdahl on Thursday. 

Along with Collins, McAlpine will rely on USC’s two star forwards, junior Tara McKeown and sophomore Penelope Hawking, to put pressure on Oregon’s defense. The duo has scored 29 of the team’s 33 goals and accounted for 59 of USC’s 97 total points. 

USC faces Oregon Thursday night at 7 at Pape Field in Eugene.