Far away from home, the Trojans lost against Johns Hopkins University in upsetting fashion after a convincing win over Towson University. As a result, USC has slipped in the national rankings to No. 17, whereas Hopkins is No. 15. 

USC (4-2) — the reigning champ of the West Coast — and Hopkins (5-2) — an East Coast powerhouse — had never officially faced off, making the matchup highly anticipated. In the East-meets-West showdown, the Blue Jays captured the first win over the Trojans. 

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USC put together one of its strongest starts to a game this season as it surged ahead 4-0 in the opening 10 minutes of play. 

Graduate attacker Ella Heaney put the Trojans on the board first and continued to attack strongly throughout the game, finishing with a stellar two goals and two assists. 

Shortly after the first goal, more veterans found the net. Graduate midfielder Sloane Murphy scored the Trojans’ second goal and senior attackers Maggie Brown and Shelby Tilton built off of it to put the Trojans up 4-0. 

Brown continued her hot start as she finished the game with a hat trick.

Taking an early lead was essential for USC to even have a chance against one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, but the Blue Jays quickly sent their 4-goal deficit down the drain. Hopkins put up its first goal in the 12th minute of play, then another in the first minute of the second quarter and another shortly after. 

What was once a strong start for USC suddenly became a race to regain back the lead, as Hopkins evened the score at 4-4 in the blink of an eye. At halftime, Hopkins took the lead 8-6 and USC entered the intermission with hopes to come back. 

During the second half, both teams battled it out at an even pace, but Hopkins had the upper hand. 

Although Tilton posted a hat trick during the third quarter, it wasn’t enough for the Trojans as they were down 2 goals, 11-9 with one quarter remaining in the game. 

That lead was enough to secure the win for Hopkins, as USC was only able to score 1 goal. Ultimately, the Trojans fell short in their first appearance against the Blue Jays 13-10. Rest assured, though, this won’t be the last time these two teams meet.

This spring season, the Trojans hold a record of 3-1 while away, but at home they are 1-1. With just one loss, it appears as though this team stays consistent on the road, and should be in good shape to continue to win more games on the road, especially when its schedule has more away than home games.

Heading into the end of March and the beginning of April, USC will begin Pac-12 play against teams such as Stanford (2-2), UC Berkeley (1-4), Oregon (4-1) and Colorado (4-2). This will be the last time the Trojans play in the Pac-12 as they move onto the Big Ten for the 2025 season, facing strong teams from the Midwest and East Coast. 

“It is important to acknowledge being a part of the Pac-12 conference, which was great for us and the sport of lacrosse on the West Coast,” Munday said in an interview with USA Lacrosse Magazine. “You want to win regardless, but we want to do everything we can to leave the Pac-12 and enter the Big 10 in the best spot possible.”

This is a huge move for USC as it hopes to remain a top team among other top teams across the country. 

After a game against Virginia Commonwealth University (1-4), USC will come back home to face Temple University (5-2) Friday at 1 p.m. at Dignity Health Sports Park.