USC women’s soccer suffered a 1-0 defeat in a hard-fought battle against Brigham Young University Thursday evening, ending the Trojans’ NCAA tournament run.
After a dominant performance against Grand Canyon last Friday at home, the No. 8 seed Trojans traveled to Provo, Utah, for their second-round NCAA tournament game against the top-seeded BYU Cougars.
The game kicked off with a clear sky, but the wet field conditions posed a challenge for both teams, as the ball’s trajectory appeared erratic at times when it made contact with the grass.
Both teams showcased their offensive talents right from the opening whistle. The Trojans stood in a 4-3-3 formation while the Cougars went with a classic 4-4-2.
In a fast-paced fashion, the first 45 minutes proved to be an evenly-matched offensive showdown. Both teams racked up eight total shots and four shots on goal from opposite ends of the field.
The Trojans effectively prevented their opponents from entering the 18-yard box in the first half, keeping the opponents at bay and successfully deflecting most of the crossing attempts.
The most threatening shot attempt for USC in the first half came 41 minutes into the game, when junior midfielder Helena Sampaio found a clear path towards the net, but the shot was caught by BYU’s freshman goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez on the left side.
BYU intensified its offensive efforts in the second half, launching a shot attempt just 24 seconds after the whistle. The Cougars also maintained greater possession of the ball and kept USC to zero shot attempts in the first 23 minutes of the period.
The Cougars continued their strategy from the first half, spreading Trojan defenders across the field as they organized attacks using crosses from the sidelines.
The only goal of this game happened in the 57th minute. A cross from BYU senior defender Kendell Petersen went long to senior forward Brecken Mozingo, who then found senior midfielder Bella Folino inside USC’s box area. Folino, who was in between two USC defenders, sunk a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson into the top right corner of the goal.
Folino has scored a total of seven goals for the Cougars this season.
Although momentum swung the other way, the Trojans kept their composure. Attacks were organized in the midfield, and the ball was finding its way to the Cougars’ half.
Despite shooting eight times in the remaining 30 minutes, USC fell victim to the clock, unable to find an equalizer.
In the closing seconds of the match, junior midfielder Aaliyah Farmer let loose a powerful shot that narrowly sailed over the crossbar, missing the net by a narrow margin.
The Trojans gave their all in the game, with six players playing the entire 90 minutes. Sampaio, freshman forward Maribel Flores and junior forward Simone Jackson combined for a total of nine shot attempts.
Capping off their 10th consecutive postseason appearance, USC women’s soccer ended their season 11-5-3, ranking third in the Pac-12 and No. 22 overall in the latest NCAA poll. This was the team’s first second round appearance under head coach Jane Alukonis, and USC will look to next season to advance further.