No. 4 USC women’s soccer kicked off its first Big Ten Tournament game on Monday morning in St. Paul, Minnesota, scraping out a dramatic 1-0 victory over No. 10 Ohio State. Despite having an impressive 18 to three shot advantage over the Buckeyes (12-1-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten), including seven shots on target, the Trojans (15-1-2, 10-0-1) couldn’t find the back of the net in 90 minutes of regulation and the game had to extend into extra time.

But when the game restarted, senior midfielder Maria Alagoa took an indirect shot that reached senior forward Maile Hayes, who deflected it with her heel, eventually finding freshman forward Jaiden Anderson. At the 1:26 mark of extra time, Anderson converted on the chance, scoring a last-minute goal that secured the win and booked the Trojans’ ticket to the semifinals.

It was Anderson’s second goal of the season and a monumental moment for Head Coach Jane Alukonis and the Trojans.

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Graduate goalkeeper Laurence Gladu was not troubled much by the Buckeyes’ attack throughout the game, needing to make just one save throughout the game and earning her 10th shutout of the year.

This win continues USC’s impressive run in its first season competing in the Big Ten, remaining undefeated in conference play. The Trojans now still have a chance to win both the regular season and postseason Big Ten titles — which would be an incredibly impressive feat for Alukonis’ squad.

USC now advances to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, where it will face No. 5 Rutgers (11-3-4, 6-2-3). Rutgers also had a dramatic overtime win to advance to the semifinals with sophomore forward Ashley Baran scoring a golden goal 4:27 minutes into the first overtime vs. No. 16 Michigan State (12-2-5, 7-1-3).

Whoever comes out on top in the battle between the Trojans and the Scarlet Knights will advance to the Big Ten Championship, taking on the winner of No. 9 UCLA (14-3-3, 8-1-2) and Washington (10-5-3, 7-4).

In a head-to-head comparison, USC appears to have better overall statistics heading into the game, with stronger offensive efficiency and greater control in set-piece situations. The stats show that USC has a higher-powered attack than Rutgers, scoring 1.78 goals per game to the Scarlet Knights’ 1.44.

Additionally, USC’s shot on goal percentage of 0.131 surpasses Rutgers’ of 0.105, indicating a more clinical finishing in the final third.

Gladu has made eight fewer saves than Rutgers senior goalkeeper Angele Amaya, suggesting a stronger overall defense with fewer shots faced per game. Both teams have created 27 chances, showing similar efficiency in creating high-quality goalscoring opportunities.

This battle will be the first time in 20 years that the two teams will face each other. Their last matchup on Sept. 5, 2004 was the only time the Trojans and the Scarlet Knights faced each other in women’s soccer history, with USC winning 3-2. The U.S. Women’s National Team legend Carli Lloyd was featured for Rutgers in the game, scoring twice in the Scarlet Knights’ narrow defeat.

The stage is set for a thrilling semi-final clash between USC and Rutgers on Thursday at noon local time at Citypark Field in St. Louis.