The last time USC women’s soccer faced Rutgers, the Trojans were riding high in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, yet to lose a conference bout since their move to the Big Ten. Then, 110 minutes and three penalty kicks later, that streak was over as the Scarlet Knights upset USC and made one of the few blemishes on its impressive 2024 campaign that ended with an NCAA Quarterfinals appearance.

Now, in the midst of a rough five-game stretch, USC (4-3-1, 1-2-0 Big Ten) will face Rutgers (3-1-4, 1-1-1 Big Ten) for the first time this season Sunday, with the hope of regaining its footing and making a push back into contention. 

After starting 3-0, the Trojans have been shut out in three of their last five games and have only won one while slipping from the United Coaches Poll No. 4 team to a distant bystander. USC will also face Maryland (6-4-0, 2-1-0) Thursday during its two-game homestand.

Last week, USC split its two-game Michigan road trip. The Trojans picked up their first win since Aug. 24 against Michigan (3-6-1, 0-2-1 Big Ten) on Thursday — thanks to two goals from junior forward Maribel Flores — before getting crushed by Michigan State (4-2-4, 1-0-2 Big Ten), 4-0, Sunday. 

In their previous three games after starting the year 3-0, USC tied and lost to unranked Portland University (3-2-3) and Washington (5-1-4, 2-0-1 Big Ten), respectively, and got crushed by then-No. 1 Stanford (7-1-1, 1-0-1 ACC).

The rough stretch has seen USC fall from a poll favorite to No. 102 according to the NCAA’s Rating Percentage Index, which measures winning percentage as well as strength of schedule. 

Despite struggling offensively in the last five games, Flores has been an offensive bright spot for USC, with a team-high five goals, two of which helped lead the Trojans to their only win of September thus far. Other offensive players to look out for are sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson and sophomore midfielder Ines Derrien, who both have three goals. Anderson also leads the team in assists with four. 

USC and Maryland never showed face in the 2024 season, which spelled drastically different outcomes for the programs. While the Trojans were a true contender for the NCAA tournament crown, Maryland ended 2024 with a rough 4-10-5 record. This season, though, Maryland falls just three places ahead of the Trojans according to the NCAA RPI.

The Terps will come to Rawlinson Stadium coming off a solid 2-1 win against Purdue (4-5-2, 2-2-1). Maryland freshman forward Mckinley Heaven led her team to victory, scoring the team’s second goal, which ended the tie and put the Terps in the lead during the second half. A strong performance from the Terps’ defense also contributed to the successes, as Purdue outshot Maryland in the second half but couldn’t even the score.

The last time the Trojans battled the Terps was Sep. 7, 2007, resulting in a 2-1 win for USC. 

On top of USC’s recent history with the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers is coming off a strong 2-0 win over Indiana (3-4-2, 0-2-1 ). Goals were scored by graduate forward Nata Ramirez and junior forward Ashley Baran. Baran was the top goal scorer for the Scarlet Knights in the 2024 season, and Ramirez played for Columbia throughout undergraduate school and received First Team All-Ivy League in 2024. 

The win against Indiana was Rutgers’ fifth shutout of the season, compared to the Trojans, who have been shut out twice so far this season while only securing two of their own. The Scarlet Knights’ upset win last season was dependent on Rutgers redshirt junior goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer, who will likely take to the goal again on Sunday, hoping to secure another win. 

While the Trojans outshot Rutgers 8-0 in overtime in 2024, Bodmer never let one slip, and in penalties, Bodmer saved all three of USC’s shots to secure the win.

The Trojans will first take on the Terps on Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by the Scarlet Knights on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will take place at Rawlinson Stadium.