Ella Heaney guides No. 19 USC women’s lacrosse to first victory of the season in win over Ohio State

Coming off a tough loss to No. 3 Boston College, the No. 19 USC Trojans came into their home opener hunting for their first win.

And hunting they did. The Trojans were quick to shut Ohio State down, beginning the game with a 7-0 run. The attack led the crew to triumph over the Buckeyes 18-10 at McAlister Field Sunday afternoon.

Senior attacker Ella Heaney led the offensive unit. The New York native guided the team with four goals and three assists.

“She’s our most veteran attacker … She is so dynamic. I mean, she can play anywhere,” Head Coach Lindsey Munday said about Heaney. “She is not a lefty, and she plays on the left side.”

Heaney scored the first goal of the game off an 8-meter within the first three minutes. 2 of her other 3 goals were scored off crease rolls. Her final goal was during the third quarter, dodging from the top of the 8-meter.

“We wouldn’t have been able to score all the goals we did and maintain possession if it wasn’t for the draw team,” Heaney said. “It was an all-around great team effort.”

Together, sophomore midfielder Catherine Lord and graduate midfielder Katie Ramsay led the draw unit with 11 draw controls between the two of them. Ramsay, the team captain, also tallied 2 goals on the attacking end.

Lord also bagged a goal with a give-and-go snipe early in the fourth quarter. She was dominant on both ends of the field, grabbing 3 ground balls throughout the game.

“We need her on the field … She is a straight defender, but she can push it on transition,” Munday said of Lord’s performance. “She is so athletic and a scrapper.”

Sophomore attacker Maddie Dora was another significant playmaker with 3 goals. Senior midfielder Sloane Murphy added 2 goals to the total, along with junior attacker Shelby Tilton, junior attacker Claudia Shevitz, junior attacker Maggie Brown, redshirt sophomore Isabelle Vitale, redshirt freshman Callie Cirilli and sophomore attacker Mia Ferraro each adding one to the board.

“Working on connecting with each other, which is what you saw today, is one of our goals for the upcoming season,” Heaney said.

Junior Kait Devir and sophomore Mia Fleming both played in the cage. Devir had 6 saves against 19 shots on goal.

The team looked completely different in Sunday’s home opener compared to their showing at Boston College last week. Munday attests that practice during the week was an essential part of that transformation.

“I’m really proud of the team and their mentality,” Munday said. “We work really hard on the mental game with our sports psychology department here … the belief in the team and the confidence never wavered.”

The Trojans head into their next away game against San Diego State on Friday with a 1-1 record.