Edited by Lauren Worley and Sydnie McClain
Both USC and Indiana were desperate for a win on Sunday, as it’s been weeks since either team has secured a victory. The Hoosiers were on a six-game losing streak coming into the match, and the Trojans have not won a game since August against New Mexico State.
Yet, this win drought didn’t stop the Trojans from bringing the energy to their home pitch. The weather could be partly responsible for the momentum brought early in the match. After an extreme heatwave in Los Angeles forced the Trojans to play in temperatures as high as 103 degrees Fahrenheit, Sunday’s forecast was 70 degrees with some clouds and wind. In addition to the more tolerable weather, the fan atmosphere was filled with vitality, as the game’s theme was Los Troyanos, which translates to “The Trojans” – a match to celebrate Latine culture in the Trojan community. Rawlinson Stadium was filled with Latine music during pregame warmups and breaks, and there was a giveaway of a “Los Troyanos” hat.
Freshman forward Rhea Moore scored the first point for the Trojans only 55 seconds into the first half. Sophomore midfielder Jaiden Rodriguez passed the ball and set her up for the goal over the Indiana goalkeeper, making the score 1-0 immediately.
“It’s always a goal of ours to start strong and be the first team to score, so scoring within the first minute was big for us,” freshman defender Rhiannon Mahon said.
After a powerful start by the Trojans, Indiana seemed eager to respond with a point of their own. But, USC’s defense made it difficult for the Hoosiers.
Hoosiers fans stood up with excitement when USC junior defender Lily Biddulph nearly made a goal for Indiana when she passed the ball back to freshman goalkeeper Josie Biehl. Her aggressive pass went behind Biehl, but the reactive freshman was able to save the ball from rolling into the net.
With 25 minutes on the clock, Hoosier junior defender Bella Haggerty got injured during a play, which stopped the clock and gave both teams time to reset. This slowed down the pace of the game until just before the first half ended when USC freshman forward Jordan Hill secured her second goal of the season. Mahon kicked the ball across the field, which led to Hill tapping the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Freshman defender Ally Griswold described Hill’s goal as “electric.”
“It was good to punch in a second goal and keep the momentum going,” said Griswold.
The Trojans came out of halftime with momentum as they led 2-0. However this time, the Hoosiers matched their energy. Sophomore defender Grace Hamm put Indiana on the board three minutes into the second half when she received a long pass from senior midfielder Kennedy Neighbors and made a cut down the middle, kicking the ball past Biehl.
USC Coach Alukonis challenged the score, calling for an offside penalty, but the challenge was unsuccessful.
Six minutes after Hamm’s goal, Indiana had an opportunity for a corner kick, but instead, senior defender Ella Stanley passed the ball to Neighbors. Neighbors sent the ball across the field, which opened up an opportunity for freshman forward Amaya Falzarano to shoot the ball. Falzarano capitalized on the tight window and tied the score 2-2.
USC once again challenged this call, but it was another unsuccessful challenge.
The game was on a pause when Hoosier junior defender Haden Vlcek crashed into junior forward Peyton Nakagawara leading to Vlcek having to be taken out of the game. Indiana has yet to announce Vlcek’s injury.
Both teams brought the pressure to the field, trying to break the tie. The Trojans had a couple attempts to score, but the fifth year goalkeeper Dani Jacobson denied every shot. In the end, the final score remained 2-2.
“Even though a win wasn’t the outcome, we came out really strong and worked really well together,” Griswold said.
The Trojans will be on the road to face Northwestern in Illinois at Martin Stadium on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m.