The young 2026 season had been off to a shaky start for USC soccer, which had yet to pick up a win coming into Thursday’s matchup against New Mexico State University. The Trojans are not entirely to blame, though; they faced two top-15 teams in their first three games, with both of their losses coming at the hands of No. 2 Duke and No. 15 BYU. 

USC (1-3-1) was looking to change its luck against a struggling Aggies (1-4) squad that had already been shut out twice this season. This time around, luck favored the Trojans, as USC commanded the match in its 4-0 victory — by far its best performance of the season. 

The win seems to be a step in the right direction for a group that had been struggling both offensively and defensively, as the Trojans created a multitude of scoring opportunities while completely shutting down New Mexico State on defense.

Substitutes take over the match

One of the keys to the game for USC was to attack the Aggies’ defense, which had allowed two or more goals in three of their four games. The Trojans’ previous lack of success in the scoring department — scoring only two goals in three matches this season — made the desire for goals and a win that much stronger.

USC’s offensive attack was successful, but not in the way Head Coach Jane Alukonis had likely predicted coming into the match. 

All four of the Trojan goals came at the hands of substitutes in the second half, after going into the locker room deadlocked at nil-nil. 

A substitution that made an immediate impact was freshman forward Jordan Hill, who tallied a goal and an assist in the match, with her 61st-minute goal ending the team’s scoring drought. 

Hill, ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 2026 class, made her collegiate debut, playing in this match for USC. In just 40 minutes, the young forward racked up her first collegiate goal and an assist, building a strong case to earn more playing time going forward. 

Another memorable performance came from the foot of junior defender and forward Lily Biddulph, whose performance off the bench was nothing short of poetic. 

Biddulph made her collegiate debut against New Mexico State in 2024 but was unable to score any goals in her freshman or sophomore campaigns, despite playing the most minutes among field players in 2025.

On Thursday, listed as a forward for the game, Biddulph scored two goals, serving as the second and third goals of her career after she notched her first against Pepperdine University (2-0-2) on Aug. 16. Biddulph is coming into her own as a scorer, as her five shots on goal in 2026 are more than her combined total in her first two years.

The sheer volume of opportunities for USC was one of the main reasons it was so effective on offense, as they got off 22 shots in the match — including 12 in the second half. 

The accuracy of the shots also proved crucial, as their 12 shots on goal put Aggie senior goalkeeper Karolanne Lafortune under constant pressure. Lafortune made an admirable eight saves in the match, yet the four that got past her would put New Mexico State in an insurmountable deficit.

Defense overpowers to secure shutout 

Not only was the offensive output dominant, but the smothering defense proved to be critical in earning USC’s first victory of the year. 

New Mexico State managed to get only four shots off, with just one of them being on goal. The Aggies were similarly unable to get a single corner kick throughout the match, showing the limited opportunities allowed by USC’s defenders. 

The lone shot on goal in the 74th minute was saved by freshman goalkeeper Josie Biehl, converting her only save opportunity. The clean sheet is the first of Biehl’s young career, and the first of the season for the Trojans. 

Biehl, who was ranked as the No. 1 goalkeeper in the 2026 class, faced the lowest number of shots in her four appearances this season, but the shutout likely gave her a boost of confidence that USC hopes can carry over for the rest of the year. 

The defense, combined with the much-needed goal support, showed what this Trojan squad is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders. Looking ahead to Thursday’s game, USC will face its toughest test before Big Ten play begins: No. 1-ranked Stanford (5-0). 

The Trojans will go on the road to play Stanford on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cagan Stadium.