USC looks for first win of its season on the road


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Redshirt senior Savannah DeMelo, No. 10, is pictured dribbling a soccer ball in the midfield, faced towards the ball.
Redshirt senior Savannah DeMelo started all 14 games for the Trojans last season and was named to the All-Pac-12 second team. (Amanda Chou | Daily Trojan)

Women’s soccer is looking to rebound on the road against BYU Thursday after a season-opening loss to Pepperdine Aug. 19. The 2-0 defeat saw the Trojans, who were ranked No. 14 nationally prior to the game, fall to the No. 25 spot in the latest rankings.

Unlike last season’s schedule, which featured almost exclusively Pac-12 opponents, USC is set to face many competitive non-conference opponents this fall, such as No. 18 Michigan and No. 24 BYU. The Trojan’s first stop is in Provo, Utah against the Cougars. 

“We’ve seen [BYU] last year, and they return pretty much the same squad,” said head coach Keidane McAlpine. “I think with the quality of the competition that we’re going to play and having to play on the road in some adversity, at altitude, different things like that, is just going to make us stronger and prepare us for our conference. ” 

BYU’s season began with a dominant 3-0 win over Ohio State. Senior midfielder Mikayla Colohan scored twice, and freshman midfielder Olivia Smith assisted all three of the team’s goals. The Cougars are coming off of a 2-1 loss to No. 14 Auburn, making the journey back from Alabama to face a strong USC team. 

While USC’s attack kept Pepperdine’s goalie busy with nine shots on goal in last week’s loss, they struggled to contain the Waves’ attack, committing 11 fouls over the course of the game. 

Pepperdine struck late in the first half, with redshirt senior forward Devyn Gifoy scoring off of a botched clearance attempt by the USC defense. Gifoy assisted on the second half goal by junior midfielder Carlee Giammona. 

“We played well enough and did enough to win,” McAlpine said. “We’ll improve defensively, just with some defensive transition things we’ve been working on.”

After dropping their first home game of the season, the Trojans will go on the road for their next five games. Last year, USC struggled on the road, going 1-3-2. Their only away win came late in the season, defeating Cal 5-0. 

Despite losing to Pepperdine for the first time since 2014, USC has plenty of reason to feel confident going into its game against BYU. With the return of senior forward Penelope Hocking and junior midfielder Croix Bethune, there is plenty of veteran leadership on this season’s team. 

Hocking has accumulated numerous All Pac-12 first team selections in her time as a Trojan, scoring 42 goals in her 58 games at USC. While the Trojan offense will suffer with the departure of forward Tara McKeown — who was drafted by the Washington Spirit in the NWSL — Hocking will look to fill that gap. 

Bethune has waited for a full season of soccer since her senior year of high school, as she missed the 2019 season with a torn ACL and played a shortened season this past year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last season, Bethune was a key component of the USC midfield and a valuable attacking asset, as seen in her three-goal, one assist performance against Cal. 

“I think she’s a big talent that can create for us, get us out of situations, be a playmaker, and so we’re looking for more of that out of her,” McAlpine said. 

The match-up between the Cougars and Trojans last season featured dynamic attacking displays by both squads, resulting in a 4-3 USC win. However, last year’s game was played in the Coliseum, where the Trojans finished with an undefeated 6-0-1 home record. This year, the Cougars play host to a USC team that has struggled on the road in its recent history, failing to win all but one away game last season.

This year’s matchup will kick off Thursday night at 7 p.m. A livestream of the game will be available on BYUtv.