Soccer’s dominant clean sheet extends win streak
USC is heating up with three straight wins and strong team chemistry.
By MARCUS PARTIDA
A shutout performance against the New Mexico State Aggies on Sunday gave USC soccer its third straight victory to open the season.
Coming off a close 3-2 win over Pepperdine University (1-2-1), Sunday’s matchup saw No. 5 USC (3-0-0) dominate New Mexico State (1-3-0) in a 4-0 victory. Standout performances from sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson and sophomore midfielder Ines Derrien brought the win, with the pair teaming up for two of the four goals.
“The relationship’s been building up off the field, on the field,” Anderson said in an interview with the Daily Trojan on Aug. 24. “I’ve been playing with [Derrien] a lot, and I’m just very excited for it. I think we’re connecting a lot more.”
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Despite getting into a groove early on, the Trojans faced some passing struggles in the middle of the game. Still managing to keep the clean sheet, USC used this win to build upon the foundation it hopes to maintain throughout the season.
Rhythm and hiccups for Trojans
From the start, the Trojans came out with constant pressure on the Aggies, immediately finding the results they wanted. A well-placed through ball allowed sophomore forward Faith George to find the back of the net before the three-minute mark. Not long after, Derrien and Anderson linked up, allowing Anderson to send a power shot from 25 yards out to go up another goal.
“I had a lot of space in front of me, and I’ve been working on my shots every day after practice,” Anderson said. “It was just a lot of trust in myself, almost like muscle memory.”
USC found rhythm, connecting one-twos and utilizing the right wing for most of their success.
“We have a fairly consistent way that we would like to play,” said Head Coach Jane Alukonis in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “We do want to be able to use both sides, but going down the right was part of our plan today, so I’m glad that the team executed.”
Sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson leads USC with three assists, including two in Sunday’s game. (Braden Dawson / Daily Trojan)
However, the game’s tempo came to a halt around the 21-minute mark. The central referee called a late review for a potential foul on Anderson by the Aggies, but there was no resulting penalty. Following the disruption, the Trojan offense met some struggles on the attack, turning the ball over on forced plays.
Even with the increased turnovers, the team continued dominating possession and created more attacking opportunities. Alukonis said the mistakes are bound to come from the team’s quick style of play.
“We’re always trying to clean up, because sometimes human beings, all of us, are a little impulsive, and we want to go forward quickly,” Alukonis said. “2-0 is a little bit of a dangerous lead where you can start to get a little bit sloppy. We wanted the team to make sure that we stayed tight in those moments and stayed true to our character.”
USC cleans up mistakes and moves forward
Eventually, junior forward Hana Mizumoto broke through the brief offensive troubles, moving around defenders and scoring under the legs of a New Mexico State defender. Mizumoto celebrated the first goal of her collegiate career with a group of firefighters from Fire Station 15, the station next to the pitch, cheering her on from behind the net.
In the second half, following an Aggie free kick, Anderson collected the ball and slid a pass to Derrien. With the goalkeeper coming out, Derrien used one touch to get around and score the final goal of the game. Derrien now leads the team in goals alongside junior forward Maribel Flores, with a total of three each.
The Trojans have three straight wins to start the season, including shutouts against California Baptist University and New Mexico State. (Braden Dawson / Daily Trojan)
In each of the three matches so far, Anderson has contributed to at least one goal. She leads the team with three assists, ahead of Derrien and sophomore defender Tanna Schornstein.
“I’m friends with the [New Mexico State] coach, and the first thing he said was, ‘[Anderson’s] a handful,’” Alukonis said. “She’s just a player that wants to put it all out there, and I would say her presence matches her character.”
USC’s defense held strong, only allowing one corner kick and two shots on goal, both of which were easily handled by graduate goalkeeper Bella Grust. Holding only 30% of the possession, New Mexico State had little opportunity to put the ball in the net.
This is the second 4-0 win for the Trojans this season, following the victory over California Baptist University (2-2-0) in the season opener Aug. 17.
Next up, USC will face the University of Portland at 7 p.m. Aug. 28 at Rawlinson Stadium.
