Scrambles at the goal line, a disallowed goal and strong aerial battles defined soccer’s clash with Michigan on Thursday from start to finish, which had all the workings of a scrappy yet goalless tie. That is, until junior forward Maribel Flores decided otherwise. But before she added two goals that gave the Trojans their 2-1 victory, the situation was looking a little dire.

The Trojans (4-2-1, 1-1 Big Ten) came into the bout against the Wolverines (3-5-1, 0-1-1 Big Ten) having gone winless in their last three games and having lost their last two: the first against a formidable Stanford (7-1-1, 1-0-1 ACC) and the second against underdogs-turned-surging-huskies Washington (4-1-4, 1-0-1 Big Ten). 

For a team that started the year ranked No. 5 on the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, finished its Big Ten debut with a conference championship and made it all the way to the Elite Eight last year, something had to change.

While USC hoped to turn its fortune around on the first stop of its Michigan road trip, it never looked like a sure bet. The Trojans dropped out of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 outright in its latest update Tuesday, after putting up just one goal over their last three games. 

To win, the Trojans would have to score against last week’s Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week, Michigan senior Sophie Homan. Homan had just shut out No. 22 Ohio State (4-1-3, 0-0-2 Big Ten) in the Wolverines’ last game.

After only managing one shot on target last time at Rawlinson Stadium, Head Coach Jane Alukonis’ group, led by a Flores brace, found it easier to find the net at U-M Soccer Stadium and tripled its attempts on goal compared to the last game.

“It’s just a mentality thing, trusting in our abilities to shoot, because we have some pretty epic people in here that can rip a shot,” said Flores in a post-game interview on Big Ten Plus. “[We’re] just encouraging each other to keep shooting and just keep doing our thing, because that’s what sets us apart.”

In the 24th minute, a misplaced Homan goal kick was brought down and passed to sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson; the ball was played through to sophomore forward Faith George before one final pass was finished expertly on the first touch by the same player that started the play: Flores.

Darting runs from the fullback positions and track backs from attacking midfielders ignited the Trojan attack and led to moments of magic. But this creativity was missing in the middle of the park. Attacking players were idle most of the game due to a patient, though mixed, possession strategy.

A cagey but probing start to the first half saw calm and long possession mostly kept among the Trojan back four. Freshman defender Edra Bello showed class and poise in her passing but would occasionally suffer the odd mistimed tackle or succumb to pressure and be forced to clear the ball. When those errors came, though, junior defender Alyssa Gonzalez had her back and swept up countless loose and misplaced Michigan through balls. 

Gonzalez was near-perfect in the backline, barring a missed through ball that ended up in the goal after a disallowed handball finish from Michigan sophomore forward Elle Ervin. But while the Trojan backline kept it cool, defensive midfielders struggled to keep possession despite winning most second balls. For as many times as freshman midfielder Alexandra Larsson bullied opponents off the ball, possession was either renounced to the center backs or lost to Michigan.

USC struggled to defend from the 12 set pieces it conceded and from wide positions in general.

After a loose, floated free kick and a series of failed clearances, Michigan junior midfielder Lilley Bosley struck a half-volley that graduate goalkeeper Bella Grust won’t want to rewatch, equalizing for the Wolverines right before the break. The silver lining: USC was unbreakable defending set pieces in the second half, setting themselves up for more magic up front.

Shortly after that moment of Trojan weakness, Flores produced the second of her two reel-worthy goals. A fast-breaking counterattack between Flores and freshman forward Murphy Walsh led to the former juggling the ball up herself for a bottom-right volley. From there, the Trojans didn’t look back and held on to their first victory since Aug. 24. 

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Flores said. “They did a phenomenal job all game, defensively, attacking, just working with each other.”

Soccer will continue its Michigan road trip in East Lansing, where it will face Michigan State (3-2-4, 0-0-2 Big Ten) on Sunday at 1 p.m.