Lacrosse looking to gain form against Pac-12 foes


Freshman midfielder Maddie Dora shields the ball from Arizona State players.
Freshman midfielder Maddie Dora has started 2 of the Trojans’ 12 games so far this season, contributing a total of 22 points. (Bradley Brown | Daily Trojan)

No. 17 Trojans are hitting the road this weekend to play against fellow Pac-12 opponents Colorado and Oregon. 

Both games will be rematches, with the Trojans prevailing in the prior games by a score of 11-7 versus the Buffaloes and 21-5 versus the Ducks. 

After a 23-17 loss to Stanford Sunday, the Trojans look to get back on track with two conference matchups. USC is currently 5-2 in its Pac-12 games with the sole two losses coming against Stanford. 

Head Coach Lindsey Munday has always established a “focus on us” mentality for her team and explained that each game is a new challenge, despite their previous wins against Colorado and Oregon. 

“I think constant communication about what you want the program to be and how we want our mentality to be. I think it’s easy to steer away from that and look at who you’re playing next and rankings and other teams,” Munday said. “But at the end of the day, you just want to control what you can control, and that’s how hard you work, and that’s getting better every single day and focusing on us.”

The Buffaloes, like the Trojans, are 9-3 on the season, boasting an impressive win against Stanford. They are 4-3 in the conference and are looking to make the jump past USC with a win. 

USC is 2-3 in its last five matchups against the Buffaloes. In the team’s last game versus Colorado, graduate student midfielder Kelsey Huff carried the Trojans on attack with 7 goals and a hat trick within the first seven minutes of play. The other 4 goals all came in the first half from freshman attacker Isabelle Vitale, sophomore midfielder Madison Waters and junior attacker Ella Heaney. 

As for the Buffaloes, fifth year attacker Sam McGee scored a hat trick for the Buffs in the previous matchup, while four other players each were able to score past USC goalie Kait Devir. 

USC has scored at least 11 points in every game this year, with Colorado holding the Trojans to the fewest points scored in a game this season. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, USC registered its highest total against Oregon. In their last matchups, the Trojans defeated the Ducks 21-5. The game marked career highs for many players, including sophomore attacker Shelby Tilton and Vitale, who had 4 goals apiece. Freshman attacker Nicole Fanelli scored the first 2 goals of her career, and graduate midfielder Kelsey Huff registered her 28th career hat trick. 

On the defensive end, senior defender Kaleigh Brennan caused 2 turnovers and 2 ground balls, while freshman midfielder Catherine Lord recovered 3 ground balls and caused 1 turnover. Defense will certainly play a key role in these next games, especially against Oregon, who edged the Trojans on draw controls last time out. 

Junior defender Danielle Carson said that following the Stanford game, the team is working hard to get back on course. 

“We’re really just working on what each position needs to do … working together and communicating a lot,” Carson said. “After our loss, we’re definitely pumped. We’re really confident that we can get out after them.”

As the Pac-12 Championship comes near, a pair of wins would put the Trojans in a pivotal position for seeding. 

“Our chemistry on the field is awesome,” Carson said. “It’s definitely really showing, and I believe it’s helping our culture: from our fifth years to our freshmen, we’re all super close and we have great relationships.” 

USC will face Colorado at 3 p.m. Friday and Oregon at 1 p.m. Sunday.