Women of Troy look to get back on track in Texas


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Intent on rebounding from a frustrating 1-0 season-opening loss to San Diego, the USC women’s soccer team must bear the Texas heat this weekend as it squares off against Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Austin in two non-conference matchups.

Moving on · Junior midfielder Carly Butcher looks to continue her strong play as the soccer team travels to Texas for two games this weekend. - Sundaram Kuppuswamy | Daily Trojan

On Friday, the Women of Troy will kick off their road schedule against TCU (1-1); from there, they will travel farther south to face Texas (1-0) on Sunday.

Despite the disheartening beginning to the season, which included being dropped unceremoniously from the top 25 rankings, the team is not dwelling on its opponents. When asked about the challenges TCU and Texas pose, coach Ali Khosroshahin turned his focus to the Women of Troy.

“To be honest, the biggest challenge is ourselves,” Khosroshahin said. “Right now, the biggest challenge is the ball and ourselves.”

Evident in Khosroshahin’s response was not only the frustration that accompanies an unexpected early-season loss, but also his steadfast confidence in his team.

During practices, he has emphasized maintaining formation as the team progresses down the field and staying connected. And as senior striker Megan Ohai pointed out, by staying in their own lanes, the Women of Troy can stretch the field and make themselves more difficult to defend.

“We weren’t doing the little things,” Ohai said. “Everyone needs to work together and get on the other side of some of these crosses.”

Undoubtedly, teamwork is how the Women of Troy will generate more offense and enjoy sustained success this season.

“If we don’t connect, we won’t generate anything. It’s all based on the same thing,” Khosroshahin said.

In TCU and Texas, USC faces two unfamiliar opponents, both unranked and coming off of mediocre seasons. The Horned Frogs opened their season with a 3-0 loss to Texas Tech, but soon rebounded, beating Texas Southern 7-0. The Longhorns won their only game 2-1 against North Carolina State, but also beat Louisiana State by the same score in an exhibition game.