Concerns of rainy weather loomed over Papé Field as USC women’s lacrosse took on the Oregon Ducks Saturday in Eugene, Oregon. While it did not rain for all 60 minutes of this matchup, it was raining hat tricks all game long for head coach Lindsey Munday’s squad.
The No. 21 Trojans completely dominated the Ducks on their home field, defeating them 19-8. Five Trojans recorded a hat trick in Saturday’s matchup.
Graduate attacker Ella Heaney led the Trojan charge with five goals. Redshirt junior attacker Isabelle Vitale, junior attacker Maddie Dora, and senior attackers Shelby Tilton and Maggie Brown each added three goals apiece.
With this win, the Trojans advance to a 10-3 record and remain undefeated in Pac-12 play (4-0). USC is now 14-3 all-time against Oregon.
“This group is super bought-in and has done a great job of getting better and committing to the full season,” Munday said. “We want to play our best at the right time, and I think we’re starting to do that, which is really exciting.”
Contrary to what the scoreline may suggest, this game wasn’t always going in the Trojans’ favor.
Oregon (7-4, 1-3 Pac-12) raced to a hot start this afternoon, putting two quick goals on the board. Head coach Jessica Drummond’s squad settled into its offense first, often sprinting down the field faster than USC could catch up. The Trojans also committed five fouls to Oregon’s one in the first period, which made it tough for USC to settle into a rhythm.
But once Tilton opened up the scoring for USC, the visitors were able to claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit and end the first quarter tied 3-3.
The second quarter was a tight back-and-forth battle for the two squads. The Ducks opened the quarter the same way they opened the first, as junior midfielder Emma Ing faked out freshman goalkeeper Annie Shields before burying the ball in the back of the net, securing her first hat trick of the season and a 4-3 lead for the Ducks.
However, no lead was safe this quarter, as Dora soon responded for the Trojans. The two squads traded scores until late in the quarter, when USC started to get some separation, going up by three with less than a minute remaining.
“We did a better job on draw controls in the second quarter,” Munday said. “When you can score a goal and then get the ball back, I think that’s always a way to create momentum for your team.”
But it wasn’t just the Trojans’ offense that made an impact. On the brink of halftime, senior goalkeeper Kait Devir, who was subbed in for Shields in the second quarter, came up with a big stop to deny Oregon’s attempt to get one on the board.
From then on, it was all USC.
In true USC lacrosse fashion, the Trojans outscored the Ducks 7-1 in the third quarter to advance to a 17-8 lead. While Oregon tried to execute its offense, its defense just couldn’t stop the bleeding, and Munday’s squad just kept on scoring. When it came to shots on goal, the Trojans outshot the Ducks 25-12 in the game.
To make matters worse for Oregon, it gave up some costly fouls that allowed USC to capitalize on free position shots. The Ducks also turned the ball over 17 times, while the Trojans had just nine turnovers.
Munday credits Saturday’s win to her squad’s unselfish play.
“There were so many players who maybe didn’t get on the stat sheet or get a goal at the end of the day, but created a lane for some of our dodgers,” Munday said. “I think the group really bought in to waiting for the best opportunity and really setting each other up for success.”
Coming into this matchup, the Trojans led the Pac-12 in total assists (74).
On the defensive end, USC really made it tough on Oregon by limiting its space near the goal, making it difficult for the Ducks to execute plays. The Trojans held Drummond’s squad scoreless for nearly 25 minutes to close the game.
Although they started slow, the Trojans were able to turn the jets on and grab control of this game. After all, Munday’s squad is no stranger to coming from behind. Last Sunday, the Trojans overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit to defeat Cal 9-8.
In both close-game situations and times when the team is down a couple goals early on, Munday encourages her squad to have a “60-minute mentality.”
“If you can commit to the game plan and just stack up little plays and string those together, they end up being really big plays,” Munday said.
USC continues conference play next Saturday on the road against No. 11 Stanford. The Trojans and the Cardinal are the only two squads that remain undefeated in Pac-12 play this season.
“We need to come in with confidence,” Munday said. “We need to prepare as best we can because Stanford is a great opponent, but we’re excited for the opportunity.”
First draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Maloney Field.