No. 1 USC women’s soccer kicked off the NCAA Tournament at Dignity Health Sports Park with a commanding 5-0 victory Sunday, sending Sacramento State University (5-7-9, 3-2-3) back home and securing the Trojans’ spot in the round of 32. This five-goal win marks USC’s largest-ever margin of victory in the postseason.

The Trojans were up three goals before halftime, with the first coming in the fourth minute of the game. They were awarded a penalty kick after senior midfielder Maria Alagoa was taken down in the box by an overly aggressive tackle, as ruled by the referee. Senior defender Brooklyn Courtnall stepped up and converted her first-ever career goal with a penalty kick with her right foot.

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“The team is always rooting for [Courtnall] and she often makes a lot of really long, difficult runs up the field and it never really kind of finishes that attack. And so everyone wanted to make sure, before she graduates out, that she goes down in the record with a goal,” said Head Coach Jane Alukonis.

The second and third goals followed a mere three minutes apart, starting with an impressive free kick from senior midfielder Helena Sampaio. Senior forward Simone Jackson then completed her fourth goal of the season, making it 3-0 for the Trojans.

Five minutes into the second half, Alagoa extended the Trojans’ already excessive lead. Then, as the game neared its close in the 90th minute, sophomore forward Florianne Jourde scored her debut goal of the season to seal the deal.

Graduate goalkeeper Laurence Gladu continued her amazing season as she recorded her 11th shutout this season. However, in this game, the ball hardly even reached Gladu’s hands. She made only one save in the entire game. In contrast, Sacramento redshirt sophomore goalie Izzy Palmatier moved around the entire match. She had seven saves and, of course, allowed five goals. 

In this game, the Hornets’ sting couldn’t penetrate the Trojans’ strong defensive line. As usual, USC dominated in shots, leading Sacramento 20-4, and 60% were taken on goal.

In the next round, USC will face an unfamiliar opponent in No. 8 Saint Louis University (15-1-6, 7-0-3). The Billikens entered the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid after winning their seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 Championship title. Saint Louis enters the national tournament on a 16-game unbeaten streak and a three-game winning streak. 

“I watched St. Louis the other night, and of course, we’re pulling all of their film and doing all of that, but one game at a time,” Alukonis said. “They are a good spot and definitely will be someone we really need to prepare for.” 

Saint Louis stands out for its aggressive attacking play. Throughout the season, the Billikens scored 49 goals compared to just 10 by their opponents, averaging 2.23 goals per game while their opponents managed only 0.45. They dominated in creating scoring opportunities, taking 400 shots compared to 187 from their rivals, with an average of 18.2 shots per game versus 8.5. 

Compared to USC, Saint Louis had a stronger offensive output, scoring 49 goals, 2.23 per game, versus USC’s 38 goals, 1.90 per game. Saint Louis also took more shots, averaging 18.2 per game compared to USC’s 14.6. However, USC showed slightly better shot efficiency, averaging 0.13, over Saint Louis’ 0.12. This will be another challenging and worthy opponent for the Trojans, but at the end of the day, USC has simply had stiffer competition both in the Big Ten and in non-conference play.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Billikens defeated Kansas (13-6-4, 6-4-1) 1-0, with senior forward Emily Gaebe scoring her 16th goal of the season in the 20th minute. Gaebe tied her school record for goals in a season, bringing her career total to 48 goals and extending the Billikens’ unbeaten streak to 17 matches.

The upcoming game will be another match where the goalkeeper takes center stage. Saint Louis’s graduate goalkeeper, Emily Puricelli, made three saves against Kansas, securing her 11th shutout and contributing to the Billikens’ 14th clean sheet of the year.

As the USC women’s soccer team gears up for the next stage of their season, Alukonis emphasized the importance of consistency and determination to achieve their ultimate goal. 

“We can go all the way, but that means that you have to have a good performance every game, and you have to be consistent, and you have to be relentless, and you have to want it more than anybody else,” Alukonis said. “It was actually the opening thing that I said to them this season, is we got our name as Trojans because we will always, till the very last minute, fight on. So they know that’s the expectation.”

The Billikens may be strong at home, but this time, they will have to travel across the country, as the stage is set at Great Park in Irvine, California. USC will face Saint Louis Friday at 5 p.m. Additionally, Wisconsin will play Virginia at 2 p.m. on the same day. The winners of both games will advance to the third round, also held at Great Park Sunday.