USC
Stanford*
No. 3 USC Draws With No. 1 Stanford
October 21, 2007 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 21, 2007
PALO ALTO, CALIF. - The No. 3 USC women' soccer team overcame a halftime deficit to force overtime against top-ranked Stanford and wind up in a 1-1 tie against the Cardinal on Sunday afternoon in Palo Alto. The draw keeps USC's unbeaten streak alive, as the Women of Troy have not lost in 10 straight games. The Trojans now hold an 11-1-2 overall record and 3-0-1 record in Pac-10 play.
Junior Amy Rodriguez and senior Lauren Brown connected for USC's trying goal late in the second half. The score marks Rodriguez' 18th career goal. Brown's assist is the 11th of her career, pulling her up to No. 10 all-time in the USC record books.
In the 24th minute of play, Stanford charged downfield on the attack, and earned a corner kick. Kristen Olsen went up to make the grab and was slammed into by a Stanford player, elbowed in the head. USC took the ball downfield next after the foul and Megan Ohai earned a corner kick for the Trojans, but Ashli Sandoval's nice kick was tracked down and punched out by the Cardinal keeper.
Stanford ended up getting on the board late in the first half when a USC foul set up the Cardinal with a long free kick from the left sideline. Stanford's Lizzy George got a head on it for the score and a 1-0 Stanford lead going into halftime.
USC soaked up the momentum in the second half, generating a good deal of strong surges against the Cardinal. In the 84th minute, the Women of Troy broke through. Megan Ohai fed a ball out wide to Lauren Brown on the right wing. Brown delivered a centering pass that Amy Rodriguez charged on head-on, driving a powerful crosscage header to the left side to equalize the game 1-1.
In the first overtime period, Stanford got a couple looks, but every time Kristin Olsen was there to go up big and snake away the ball. USC got deep with a corner kick opportunity, but the ball went through. After a 10-minute stretch of even play, neither team was able to break through, brining up the second overtime period.
There was a good amount of action in the second overtime as well. Stanford hit a couple shots wide, and Stacey Strong came up with a big clear from near the goalline to squelch a Stanford opportunity. Megan Ohai lined up for a long flip throw-in that Kasey Johnson got a head on, but the Trojans were whistled for a foul. Ashli Sandoval - continuing her gutsy play in the midfield, set up for a free kick. It was knocked out, but Karter Haug sent the ball back in, but it went wide. Sandoval's effort sent two more balls up deep for the Trojans, but Stanford goalkeeper Kira Maker came out to nab the ball just ahead of charging USC strikers.
#3 USC 1, #1 Stanford 1
USC 0 - 1 -- 0 - 0 --- 1
STAN 1 - 0 -- 0 - 0 --- 1
SCORING: 43:20 - STAN: Lizzy George (Marissa Abegg) 83:21 - USC: Amy Rodriguez (Lauren Brown)
SAVES: Kristin Olsen (USC) 1, Kira Maker (STAN) 8.
SHOTS: USC 12, STAN 9.
CORNER KICKS: USC 8, STAN 1.
