Soccer opens season with split record

Women’s soccer kicked off the 2022 season Thursday when they traveled to Indiana to take on Purdue University. Despite a hard fought 90 minutes, the No. 15 Trojans struggled to execute on the offensive end and ultimately lost 3-0 to the unranked Boilermakers.

Sunday’s game against Long Beach State fared better for the Trojans, earning a 1-0 victory. 

In West Lafayette, the Trojans started hot, outshooting Purdue 11-4 in the first half, forcing goalie Sara Kile to make three first half saves. 

“I thought we came out strong,” Head Coach Jane Alukonis said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “We had chances in the beginning, and I thought momentum was swinging our way for a while.” 

However, led by their underclassmen attack, the Boilermakers were able to sneak in a goal in the 43rd minute of the game, stealing the lead as the teams entered halftime before widening their lead in the second half.

“Giving up a goal right before halftime was really tough, and then Purdue just kept gaining momentum,” Alukonis said. “Purdue does a good job of just getting numbers in and making it super compact in there and putting people in the way of goal.”

Despite outshooting Purdue 17-11 over the course of the game, the Trojans were unable to take advantage of their shots and turn them into goals. 

“Early on, we were a bit ambitious, taking some long-range shots, shots that don’t have a high likelihood of going in,” Alukonis said. “Certainly combining together and getting closer to goal, a lot of that just comes from playing together and using each other to solve problems.”

Part of the Trojans’ difficulties communicating can be attributed to the absence of four starting players, who were all away in Costa Rica playing for their national teams in the U-20 World Cup. Sophomore defender Brooklyn Courtnall, junior defense and midfielder Zoe Burns and sophomore midfielder Simi Awujo play for Team Canada, while sophomore forward Simone Jackson was tapped for Team USA, scoring the lone goal in the team’s 3-1 loss to Japan on August 17.

“[Missing starters] gives players game time to prove themselves and to gain the experience and get the minutes,” Alukonis said. “We always want to support any international opportunities that our players get, but for sure we are all happy to have them back very soon.”

With the return of their starters, the Trojans are looking forward to their coming games and to the looming start of Pac-12 conference play. 

“We’ve been preaching extremely hard work on both sides of the ball,” Alukonis said. “SC has always been known for amazing attack, and sometimes we feel like spaces between us, or the pressure that we put on the ball, is not quite where we want it to be.”

Despite the work still to be done, the Trojans are more motivated than ever to take on the coming games. 

“As Trojans, we always believe we are going to go out and win the game and put in the hardest fight we possibly can,” Alukonis said. “We are looking forward to Sunday. We are glad we don’t have to wait super long to redeem ourselves.”

Redemption came swiftly for the Trojans when the team traveled to Long Beach Sunday night. An early goal by sophomore midfielder Aaliyah Farmer lifted the Trojans over the Beach. 

Senior midfielder Croix Bethune, who was named the top player in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com, assisted Farmer on a corner kick. Joining Bethune on the list of top college soccer players is graduate defender Brandi Peterson, who came in at number 11 in the country.

After scoring the first and only goal in the seventh minute, the Trojan offense was able to keep pressure up into and through the second half, with 10 of their 17 shots coming after halftime. Maintaining pressure was something that the Trojans were looking to work on following the loss to Purdue, in which they shot 11 shots in the first half and only six in the second. 

“Continuing to go as much as we can and putting the pressure on them, rather than letting them come at us [is the key to maintaining momentum],” said Alukonis following the loss to Purdue on Thursday.

However, it was the Trojan defense that carried them to victory over the Beach, allowing only one shot in the first half and seven in the second, with only two shots on goal throughout all 90 minutes. USC was aided by the return of Burns from team Canada, who logged two shots and one on goal on top of her stellar defense. Also returning to the team was fellow team Canada member Awujo, who logged one shot in her 76 minutes. 

The Trojans were led by 90-minute performances by four of their starters, including Farmer, Bethune, senior defender Kaylin Martin and Peterson, as well as senior goalkeeper Anna Smith. 

Following their victory over the Beach, the Trojans look to extend their hot streak in their home opener against Texas Christian University at Soni McAlister field Sept. 1 at 3 p.m.