For USC lacrosse in its season finale, it was better late than never. They may have had to wait, but the Trojans finally secured a win in conference play.

After a long season full of blowout losses and disappointing results, it took until the last game of the season for USC to pick up its first Big Ten win of the year. 

In a battle of winless conference teams, USC (8-9, 1-7 Big Ten) and Oregon (6-10, 0-8) faced off in Eugene on Saturday, each with the chance to grab a much-needed victory and avoid a last-place finish in the Big Ten standings.

It was the Trojans who emerged on top, finishing an arduous season on a high note with a 15-10 win over the Ducks, their 11th straight versus the former Pac-12 foe. 

Following last week’s double-overtime heartbreaker to Ohio State (9-7, 3-5) that knocked the Trojans out of playoff contention, Saturday’s finale could have easily turned into a letdown game. 

However, USC came out and played with edge, focus and pride against Oregon, showing no desire to simply go through the motions in a game with no postseason ramifications; instead, the Trojans made their last game count. 

Multiple players had career days and set personal bests against the Ducks. 

Senior attacker Haley Newton capped off her four-year USC career in style. After playing in at least seven games every season for the Trojans, Newton picked up her first career hat trick in her last time donning the cardinal and gold. 

Redshirt junior midfielder Hollis Mulry set a career high in goals with four. She recorded her second career hat trick and was unstoppable in all facets offensively, displaying speed and accuracy from the outside. 

Junior midfielder Anna Regan was all over the stat sheet, scoring her first hat trick and attempting six shots. Regan showed off her passing in transition and distributed the ball effectively, dishing out two assists.

While USC has struggled this season to put together simultaneous solid offensive and defensive performances in the same game, the team showed complementary play on both sides of the ball against Oregon. 

The Trojans peppered Oregon sophomore goalie Kate Shields with 27 shots on goal and 36 attempts. They moved the ball quickly in transition and aggressively attacked the interior of the defense, creating numerous high-quality scoring chances. 

Junior attacker Emma Bunting, who has been the prime distributor all year for USC, had one goal and four assists to put an exclamation point on her breakout season. Bunting’s five points increased her season total to a team-leading 54, ahead of junior attacker Reese Robinson’s 44, which included 25 goals in 17 games. 

Sophomore midfielder Alex May reached 20 goals in her second campaign, notching two goals in the season finale. 

On defense, the Trojans limited shot opportunities and high-danger chances for the Ducks. USC closed passing lanes and forced Oregon into contested shots, allowing 14 on goal on 24 attempts.

Junior Annie Shields and sophomore Ellie Thomas split goaltending duties, but their team’s defense ensured that neither had to face much action. Shields played the first half, earning the win while allowing five goals and making four saves on nine attempted shots. 

Ball possession was critical to controlling both the pace and the clock. The Trojans took advantage of their 22-5 dominance in draw controls to repeatedly hold possession and dictate ball movement in transition. 

Regan, along with her big afternoon offensively, led the way in the center circle again for USC with six draw controls, ending her season with the team lead for the third straight year. Regan continues to be a trusted weapon for Head Coach Lindsey Munday’s squad, winning more than twice as many draws as the next-best player every season of her career.

On Saturday against the Ducks, however, Regan wasn’t the only one regularly winning draws. Redshirt junior midfielder Hannah Barron also won six draws, while sophomore defender Sophia DeJarnette had a career-high five controls. 

After falling behind 2-1 early, the Trojans scored six unanswered goals to take a commanding lead. USC fended off a late second-quarter run and then outscored Oregon 4-1 in the third to give itself some breathing room to close out its first conference win.

Like the Ducks, who remain winless for the second consecutive year, Big Ten competition has not been kind to the Trojans. In the first two years since leaving the Pac-12, USC lacrosse is 4-12 in conference play. As the Trojans enter the offseason, figuring out how to hang around — and beat — the conference’s top teams will be key if the program wants to take the next step.