The undefeated USC women’s soccer team is climbing the ranks at a rapid pace. After securing a 3-2 victory over Seattle in overtime, the Trojans moved up to No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and the Top Drawer Soccer Rankings. For the first time in program history, the Women of Troy are 7-0 to start the season.
This was the second time the Trojans pushed the clock into overtime this season. The Trojans took down No. 1 Florida State on Sept. 1 after nearly eight minutes of extra play. Sophomore Penelope Hocking, assisted by junior Tara McKeown, scored from the far post for a 3-2 victory over FSU.
“When you look at the character of a team, to find a way to win those games when you’re not playing well and things aren’t quite right, that goes a long way in terms of making it through the season,” said head coach Keidane McAlpine. “We’ve got to improve a little bit defensively in just being able to manage games in 90 minutes.”
McKeown and Hocking, USC’s dynamic duo, have proven to be unstoppable for the Trojan offense.
Hocking currently leads the country in game-winning goals, successfully closing out four games this season. McKeown leads the Pac-12 in total points with seven goals and six assists. The junior striker also earned two national awards after back-to-back braces against Florida and No. 1 Florida State. McKeown was named National and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week during the Trojans’ second week of play.
Their threat has not gone unnoticed. Seattle zoned in on the duo in last week’s game, and McAlpine expects a similar push back in Waco tomorrow.
“Baylor is an excellent team- very physical and competitive,” he said. “Like [last] Friday, we’ve got to find people who are willing to get forward and put themselves in good positions like Arlie did and Natalie did and tuck it away. Once that happens then P and T will get a little bit more room, and they’ve proved that when they get room, they score goals.”
Junior Midfielder Arlie Jones earned the game-winning goal against the Redhawks last Friday, her second goal of the season. Jones knocked in a rebound shot off a McKeown- after a long pass into the box by Hocking- ending the game in overtime.
Mirroring the offensive power is sophomore goalkeeper Anna Smith. While filling the net for redshirt junior Kaylie Collins, Smith has proven she’s up for the challenge. Smith wasted no time showing what she’s made of, dominating the box and earning national honors. After the first two shutouts of her career against Northern Arizona and Nebraska, Smith was named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week. Coach McAlpine said that even though she entered unexpectedly, Smith has managed the team well. and expects to see her “grow throughout the season as she gets more minutes.”
The Trojans are headed down south this week, wrapping up their last non-conference game against the Baylor Bears (3-2-2) on Friday. Despite its mediocre record, Baylor could certainly pose a challenge for the Trojans. The team made it to the Elite Eight in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Friday’s game will be nationally televised on ESPNU. A link for live stats can be found on the women’s soccer schedule page at USCTrojans.com. In-game updates will also be available on Twitter by following @USC_Wsoccer.