USC’s trip to the Rockies ends in a 1-1 draw

USC women’s soccer’s long road trip came to an end with a trip to Boulder, Colorado to face the Buffaloes.

The Trojans came out hot from the get-go, pushing the Colorado defenders and goalkeeper the entire first half. The Trojans were dominant in the first half when it came to possession; it seemed every single time they got the ball they were pushing the attack.

In the second minute of play, it seemed that this aggressive play style was paying off. Sophomore midfielder Aaliyah Farmer was positioned perfectly in the middle of the 18-yard box, but she just barely missed off the right goal post.

In the 12th minute, yet again the Trojans had an opportunity to score, but junior midfielder Zoe Burns’ shot was denied by the crossbar.

One of the killers of the Trojans was, in fact, their aggression and overeagerness to score, as they were called offsides seven total times in the game to Colorado’s one.

In the 25th minute, it was still mostly USC controlling the tempo and possession when Farmer just barely overshot the goal from just inside the 18-yard box.

Probably the best chance at a goal in the first half for the Trojans was when Buffaloes’ sophomore goalkeeper Bella Grust whiffed on an overshot pass from outside the 18-yard box, but the Trojans were unable to capitalize on the mistake.

USC’s first-half dominance would end in the 38th minute. Colorado senior forward Civana Kuhlman broke away from the defense and scored a rocket from outside the 18-yard box to make the score 1-0 right before the break.

The second half wasn’t much different from the first. The Trojans kept up the pressure on the Buffaloes and kept up the barrage of shots as well.

In the 63rd minute, the Trojans maneuvered their way down the field, and Simone Jackson sliced through the defense to the edge of the 6-yard box. But just as Jackson thought she had the equalizer, Grust came forward to jump and save the shot.

In the 74th minute, hope was starting to dwindle for USC after an offsides call. But that didn’t last long. Graduate defender Brandi Peterson crossed the ball into the box where it was headed up in the air by the Buffaloes, then masterfully headed in by Farmer, tying the score 1-1.

With time running out in the 84th minute, the Trojans had one final chance to turn this into a come-from-behind victory, but Farmer’s shot was saved by Grust. The Colorado goalkeeper was by far its MVP of the game.

With just 20 seconds left, the Buffaloes had one last corner kick to try and keep this game a win. The ball was batted out, and senior midfielder Amaya Gonzales missed the top right of the goal, ending the game 1-1.

If you looked at this game from an analytical perspective, you would have thought the Trojans destroyed Colorado. USC finished with 21 shots, compared to Colorado’s measly six.

The Trojans now stand at 9-2-3 overall and 5-1-2 in Pac-12 play. They head home for their final three games of the regular season, still in the hunt for the Pac-12 Championship. USC will face Washington on Thursday at McAlister Field at 2 p.m.