About 42 minutes into Saturday’s game against Rutgers, USC soccer got a taste of deja vu.

After a strong run down the left side of the field resulted in a penalty kick for junior forward Hana Mizumoto, Head Coach Jane Alukonis and company got an all too familiar sight: Rutgers redshirt junior goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer tipping the dribbling attempt out of bounds for a save.

Last time the Trojans (6-3-1, 3-2-0 Big Ten) matched up with the Scarlet Knights (3-3-4, 1-3-1), Bodmer’s ability to save penalties sent USC home early in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, despite the Trojans dominating possession for much of the game.

As one of the few blemishes on USC’s stellar Big Ten debut, the Trojans were hoping for revenge at Rawlinson Stadium. This time, they took it to Bodmer early and often, making that penalty save inconsequential as they cruised past a late-game surge to win 2-1.

“[For] the team, it was personal,” said sophomore forward Jaiden Anderson in a postgame interview. “We had alumni back here who played in that game, and they were like, ‘It’s revenge time.’” 

It was Anderson who got the Trojans off to a hot start, scoring in the sixth minute off a dish from junior forward Maribel Flores and creating a lead they would never relinquish. Anderson continued to spark rallies throughout the game with a team-high five shots, including one that grazed the crossbar to start the second half.

“It’s a great start … so the energy came with it,” Anderson said of her early-game goal. “Everyone behind me supported me, and energy kept flowing off of each other. We’ve been talking about contagious positivity, and I think that’s what really showed today.”

Anderson’s 12 points now rank second on the team this season behind Flores’ 15, having picked up four goals and four assists. Sophomore midfielder Ines Derrien is close behind in third; she notched her fourth goal of the season, hitting a liner from outside the box that Bodmer tipped but was unable to save in the 27th minute.

While the Trojans dominated possession for most of the game and outshot Rutgers 12-8, and 6-3 on goal, the team was without Flores, its top contributor, after she exited the game in the 36th minute and didn’t return.

After already having an assist and a good look on goal to her name, Flores was body checked by redshirt sophomore midfielder Morgan Hippeli and went down, pausing play for a few minutes. A trainer on the field tended to Flores’ left leg in the knee area, but she was able to play for almost 20 more minutes before getting pulled.

Alukonis was not available after the game for comment regarding Flores’ status.

For around 30 minutes after Flores left the game, USC was able to hold strong, but a 76th-minute goal from Rutgers senior midfielder Allie Post seemed to turn the tide.

The Scarlet Knights held possession for a majority of the final 15 minutes, which saw multiple close calls, including a shot from graduate forward Nata Ramirez that nearly tied it up in the 84th minute.

It looked like USC’s missed opportunities — from the missed penalty kick, to Anderson’s near miss, to a goal that was called back for offsides from sophomore forward Faith George in the 73rd minute — were going to come back to bite them. But instead, the defense held strong, led by multiple clearances and aggressive efforts from graduate goalie Bella Grust.

As the game wound down, fans banged on their seats in unison, shouting “Go ‘SC” and “Let’s go Trojans” in support, and chanting phrases like “You can’t do that” upon Scarlet Knights fouls, in hopes of fueling USC’s ultimately successful effort to hold off Rutgers.

“It’s very rewarding,” Anderson said of playing at Rawlinson Stadium. “You make one good tackle, one good step, one good anything, and you really feel the energy behind it. These fans are amazing. They really showed out today. I’m very grateful.”

Next up for USC is a trip to Eugene, Ore., where it will face Oregon (2-7-3, 0-3-2) at 1 p.m. Friday. The Trojans will hit the road again the week after and will not return to Rawlinson Stadium until an Oct. 16 game against Nebraska (5-2-5, 0-2-3).