USC soccer chops down the Beavers

The Trojans were able to take down Oregon State to win their sixth straight.

By HENRY MODE
Junior midfielder Helena Sampaio scored the third goal of the day for the Trojans in their win. She has five goals and two assists on the season. (Emma Silverstein / Daily Trojan)

As the sun beat down onto a packed McAlister Field Sunday afternoon, No. 15 USC women’s soccer dispatched Pac-12 rival Oregon State 4-0, marking its sixth consecutive victory and staying undefeated in conference play.

The Trojans (9-2, 5-0 Pac-12) defeated the slumping Beavers (3-6-4, 0-4-1) for the eleventh consecutive time in what will be the final conference duel between the sides. The result marked the end of a difficult trip south for Oregon State, who lost 6-0 Thursday to No. 5 UCLA (11-1, 5-0) in Westwood.

In similar fashion, USC was all over Oregon State from the opening whistle, suffocating the Beavers with quick passing and high pressing to maintain the overwhelming majority of possession. The opening goal came in just the eleventh minute, a composed finish from junior forward Simone Jackson after beautiful link-up play from junior forward Kayla Colbert and junior midfielder Simi Awujo.

The match was Jackson’s fourth start of the season due to a nagging injury, but the 2022 All-Pac-12 first team member has been clinical when healthy, notching four goals in just 401 minutes. Her presence on the pitch lifts USC’s attack into another gear.

“When other teams see [Jackson] in the lineup, it’s not ideal for them,” Head Coach Jane Alukonis said. “She can just hit the gas, whether that’s in our press or getting in behind the line, and she loves to strike the ball.”

Jackson’s relentless pressing and energy created chances out of nothing for the Trojans, turning negatives into positives. Her effort played a huge role in USC’s ability to generate 24 shots and eight shots on target.

“[Jackson’s] speed and her ability to pick up second balls is big for us,” graduate midfielder Kayla Duran said. “If you don’t hit a ball perfectly, you can always count on her to run after it. She brings another level of hard work to our team.”

The Trojans doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute, as Colbert fired home the rebound after a thunderous free kick effort from senior defender Angeles Escobar slammed against the crossbar.

USC took a 2-0 lead into the break, but the start of the second half marked a difficult period for the Trojans. Oregon State began to control more possession of the ball, showcasing its quality and creating its best chances of the game.

“Even though [Oregon State] didn’t have a great performance on Thursday against UCLA, they still came out and worked their butts off,” Duran said. “I really have to give them credit for that.”

Keeping their foot on the gas will be crucial for the Trojans going forward as they face a gauntlet of conference opponents, including UCLA and No. 3 Stanford (12-0-1, 5-0). Every moment will be crucial in what figures to be a tight Pac-12 race.

“I was impressed that OSU had the energy in [the second half] and did not give in. You have to really respect that,” Alukonis said. “But we have to consider that, potentially, towards the end of the [Pac-12 season], goal differential might be considered. So, we have to keep going as hard as we possibly can to rack up as many goals and keep clean sheets.”

Alukonis got her wish as USC added late goals from junior midfielder Helena Sampaio and junior forward Izzy Kimberly to kill off the Beavers. Both goals were assisted by freshman forward Maribel Flores, Top Drawer Soccer’s 18th-ranked prospect in the 2023 class and a key difference-maker for the Trojans. It was the second multi-assist game of the season for Flores, who has also added four goals in the first ten appearances of her freshman campaign.

“[Flores] just sees things differently … Just being able to find those little threaded passes, one-twos, combination play,” Alukonis said. “Often, teams will just sit in very compact defense in front of us, and she’s a player that can unlock those tighter spaces.”

USC will now focus on sharpening its finishing and discipline to prepare for the top-ranked opponents it will need to defeat to secure a Pac-12 title. Converting more of their chances in front of the goal may be the key to success for the Trojans this season.

“It’s great that it was 4-0 but, at the end of the day, it could have been 6 or 7-0, so honing in on the final third and finishing more of our chances will be really big,” Duran said.

The Trojans will fight for their seventh consecutive victory Saturday at noon against No. 25 Colorado (10-3-1, 2-2-1) at McAlister Field.

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