Soccer looks to continue shutout streak


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The Trojans will take on one last opponent this weekend before entering a stacked season of conference play. This Friday’s matchup against the University of Kansas will serve as a final chance for head coach Keidane McAlpine to fine tune his team.

The Trojans are looking to continue a five-game shutout streak in their sole match this Friday at home. Coming off of an ESPNW Player of the Week recognition from her performances against Georgia and Auburn, senior goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme has led her team to those five straight blank sheets.

The latest shutout over No. 8 North Carolina added fuel to a team already hungry to prove themselves in the regular season. The Trojans dominated the top-ranked and well-established Tar Heels squad from start to finish, pulling out a 3-0 upset with goals from senior Morgan Andrews, senior Katie Johnson and junior Nicole Molen.

“I think we’re coming together in a way that is really exciting for all of us,” senior defender Kayla Mills said. “I think all of us believe in ourselves, and we believe that if we keep playing together the way we have, there’s really no limit to what we can do.”

Friday’s game will be less of a challenge than North Carolina posed for the Trojans, as they play an unranked University of Kansas squad that has struggled on the road this season with a 5-2-1 overall record. Andrews acknowledged that the Jayhawks are a solid team from year to year, often providing challenges for top-ranked squads. But she said that this final game will mostly be a time for the team to address problems they’ve seen throughout the season in preparation for upcoming conference games against teams such as Stanford.

From the sidelines, McAlpine has noted that many of his pairs — particularly Andrews and Mills — have been continuing to improve their chemistry, becoming more comfortable in the attacking third of the field. And with a defense that is consistently shutting down teams, the Trojans are beginning to feel that they’re getting into their groove.

“As a senior, I’m looking to leave it all out on the field when I’m out there,” Andrews said. “But I think that’s a mentality that a lot of the team has. Everyone wants the girl playing next to her to do her best. It’s a really team mentality. We just want to succeed together as a team and prove to the rest of the country what we can bring.”