After an unbeaten inaugural Big Ten season, the Trojans are ready to kick off another year of soccer in their new home, Rawlinson Stadium. 

“Rawlinson is one of the best stadiums in college soccer,” said Head Coach Jane Alukonis in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “Every day that we walk out there, whether it is for practice or for a game, we feel extremely privileged.” 

Despite the new look, the squad is picking up exactly where it left off after one of the strongest seasons in program history. No. 5 USC will look to score a national title with a young roster and new facility to share with the fans.

Familiar footwork meets fresh faces

During the offseason, USC lost several graduating players to professional contracts. Forward Maile Hayes, who led the squad in goals last season, signed overseas with Portuguese club Torreense SCU. Eight others have signed with NWSL, Liga MX and Swedish clubs.

The Trojans’ updated roster includes only one senior and two graduate students, with a majority of the squad being sophomores and juniors. Still, Alukonis embraces youth. 

“Sometimes, not getting the most minutes your freshman or sophomore year, whatever the case might be, might make you hungrier in the years to come, because you know you’ve put in your time,” Alukonis said. “Now, the opportunities are coming for players who have been very patient.”

A player to look out for is junior forward Maribel Flores, who has begun to lead the locker room in her third season with USC. Flores hit the ground running as a freshman, being named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while picking up TDS Best XI second team, All-Pac-12 third team and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. 

Outside of collegiate play, Flores continues to thrive with the Mexican National Team, having missed the first eight games of her sophomore season to play at the U-20 World Cup.

Underclassmen standouts include sophomore midfielder Ines Derrien and sophomore forward Faith George, both of whom received Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors last season. Derrien started in all four of the Trojans’ NCAA tournament matchups, tallying two assists in those matches. George secured three assists and a goal in her first five collegiate games, adding on two more goals by the end of the season.

On the defensive end, junior defender Alyssa Gonzalez and senior defender Molly McDougal return after being part of the backline that posted 11 shutouts in 23 games, allowing 0.81 goals per game. Gonzalez played the full match four times last season, with McDougal playing nine full matches.

In goal, none of the three rostered keepers saw minutes last year, creating an opportunity for a new star to shine. Graduate student goalkeeper Bella Grust has stepped up in the locker room, according to Alukonis, while also having the most experience at the collegiate level. 

“Grust, who’s a senior-level goalkeeper, brings leadership and maturity to the team,” Alukonis said. 

Meanwhile, junior goalkeeper Phoebe Carver’s freshman run at Arkansas finished with an 8-2-0 record in goal and six total shutouts. Sophomore goalkeeper Lana Gibbs is a young talent who could step up in what would be her first collegiate appearance. 

The new Trojans got a chance to show off their skills in an exhibition match on Aug. 6 against Long Beach State. Junior forward Amalie Pianim connected with another new face in freshman forward Murphy Walsh for the opening goal. USC took the 2-0 win after a one-touch finish from Flores.

Preparing for battle

Plenty of challenge awaits the team in 2025, with 10 of the Trojans’ 16 opponents having played in last year’s NCAA tournament. To open the season, USC faced California Baptist University on Aug. 17, which also marked the first home game at Rawlinson Stadium. 

As of now, six of the Trojans’ opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll. A revenge match with No. 7 Stanford, which delivered USC’s only loss last season, awaits on Sept. 4 at home. The Oct. 19 faceoff against No. 13 Iowa is the only other ranked home game.

A Sept. 21 battle against No. 12 Michigan State marks the first of four ranked away matches. Back-to-back matchups on the road follow at No. 24 Minnesota on Oct. 9 and No. 23 Wisconsin on Oct. 12. The season is sent off with the crosstown rivalry at No. 8 UCLA on Oct. 26.

USC ended its 2024 season with a record of 18-1-4, the highest winning percentage in program history, while bringing home the Big Ten conference title with four ranked wins. For the first time in program history, the Trojans entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed, where they suffered an unfortunate loss in penalties in the quarterfinal to then-No. 3 Wake Forest University.

“Last year, unfortunately, we fell short in penalty kicks, which is always a really hard way to go out,” Alukonis said. 

Homecoming and the hump

All of last season’s success was accomplished without a true home game: A majority of USC’s home matches were played at Dignity Health Sports Park, with the 1-0 victory over then No. 15 Ohio State being played at BMO Stadium. Rawlinson Stadium replaces Soni McAlister Field as the home for both USC soccer and lacrosse. 

“It’s just a totally different vibe for training,” Alukonis said. “For matches, being home is always a nice advantage, because you have your people there. You have your classmates or people that support you within the university, other students.”

For the team, the new stadium features separate locker rooms for both soccer and lacrosse, team meeting areas, a sports medicine space, a nutrition fueling bar, and spaces for coaches. For fans, the stadium houses 2,200 people with the possibility of expanding capacity to 2,500 on game days. A natural grass playing surface, field lights, an LED board, a stadium-wide audio system and a brand new press box are also additions to the new home for USC soccer.

“We always tell the team you guys are treated like pros,” Alukonis said. “Of course, it is the stadium, the construction team, [and] everybody from the University that poured in to make that happen.”

Despite the successes, Alukonis is focused on getting the team over the final hump. The Trojans have won two National Championships, one in 2007 and the other in 2016. Since 2014, they have had 11 straight postseason appearances, but still await that elusive third national title. 

“Our group and our players know from the time we recruit them that our goal is always going to be to win the conference and win the national championship,” Alukonis said.

The 2025 season kicked off on Aug. 17 against California Baptist University at Rawlinson Stadium.