The USC women’s soccer team opened its season Thursday with high hopes due to its deep roster and despite a 2-0 loss to Pepperdine, head coach Keidane McAlpine remains optimistic about his team’s season.
McAlpine acknowledged Pepperdine’s ability but pointed out many positive aspects his team showed throughout the first game of the season.
“I thought we did enough and put ourselves in some really great positions, but it’s the desire. It’s the fight. It’s the toughness necessary to win games like this when you’re playing a quality team and there are only going to be a couple of moments,” McAlpine said. “If you really think about it, the goals that they scored were really broken plays for the most part. We’ve got to take that and turn some of our plays into winning moments.”
As freshman defender Brooklyn Courtnall tried to clear the ball out of the penalty area for the Trojans in the first half, the ball bounced off Pepperdine redshirt senior forward Devyn Gilfoy’s shin. Gilfoy controlled the ball before beating USC senior goalkeeper Anna Smith as she dove forward attempting a save, and Gilfoy put the ball in the net as the clock neared the 40-minute mark.
Regardless, McAlpine pointed out Courtnall’s overall strong performance in her freshman debut.
“As tough as it is to step into your first game as a freshman in general … I thought Brooklyn Coutnall did a great job for us today,” McAlpine said in an interview posted to USC Soccer’s Twitter account. “Even the tough moments where she found herself in tough situations, she rebounded quickly … I’m excited to see what happens for her coming down the road.”
Despite the goal, the Trojans controlled the ball for most of the first half as they even secured four quality looks. Though Pepperdine maintained possession coming out of the gate in the second half, the Trojans secured their best scoring chance of the day.
Junior midfielder Croix Bethune nicked a shot off the crossbar before star senior forward Penelope Hocking tried to rebound with a header. She was turned away by a follow-up header from a Pepperdine defender right at the net, and Hocking nearly had one more chance on another rebound, but Pepperdine’s defense was already right in front of her.
75' | This game in a nutshell so far.
— USC Women's Soccer (@USC_WSoccer) August 19, 2021
USC 0-1 PEPP#FightOn | #BoldBrashBrave pic.twitter.com/cN2w583oQr
Hocking even had another shot on goal that required a diving save from redshirt senior goalkeeper Zoe Clevely. The USC standout will have to wait for another day to continue her record-breaking pace, as she stands six goals away from breaking USC’s all-time scoring record of 48 career goals.
“When you say that out loud, it’s a testament to what she’s done. She’s put herself in that space in three years, which is amazing,” McAlpine said. “She’s consistent. She’s a winner. She has grit. She’s got fight and I think ultimately we are going to be better and we’re going to reach our peak because of her and because of the work she puts in.”
Pepperdine delivered the final blow when junior midfielder Carlee Giammona dribbled the ball upfield before threading the needle between two defenders for a laser goal around the 85-minute mark.
McAlpine preaches unity in his coaching style and with new faces facing off against a seasoned Pepperdine team, he believes the unity will come for the Women of Troy as the season progresses.
“I thought we ran into a team that’s a little bit more mature in what they’re trying to do. They were really organized and they were consistent with what they wanted to do in terms of the tackling and the winning plays,” McAlpine said. “The goalkeeper was exceptional and so [during] a couple of moments where we felt like we could have shifted momentum, she made a big save and she kept the momentum for them.
“All in all, as much as we lost, it’s still a learning opportunity for us and I think we will improve on today … We’ll get there, but it’s still a work in progress.”
USC heads to Utah to face off against BYU on Thursday at 6 p.m.