University Southern California Trojans
Friday, November 17
College Station, TX
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/ Women's SoccerPhoto by: John McGillen
No. 3 Seed USC Heads To College Station For More NCAA Action
November 14, 2017 | Women's Soccer, Features
Defending national champs will face Baylor on Friday in the NCAA Second Round.
THIS WEEK
The No. 3 seeded Trojans (15-3-1) take a trip to the Lone Star State this week as they continue their NCAA title defense in College Station, for the NCAA Second and Third Rounds. USC will take on Baylor (14-5-2) on Friday (Nov. 17) at 1:30 p.m. PT at Ellis Field in a second-round tilt. Should the Trojans defeat the Bears, a matchup against either No. 2-seeded host Texas A&M (18-2-1) or Notre Dame (10-6-4) awaits in the NCAA Third Round at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday (Nov. 19) at Ellis Field.
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: SECOND/THIRD ROUNDS
The Trojans are making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth straight under head coach Keidane McAlpine. In the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Trojans hosted Texas A&M at McAlister Field in a tightly contested match that went scoreless past two overtime periods. USC would eventually advance 4-3 on penalty kicks to set up a match against Pac-12 foe Utah in the NCAA Third Round, also held at McAlister Field. A 73rd minute goal by Leah Pruitt would be the difference in that one, and the Trojans advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over the Utes. In the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, USC took on Princeton in Charlottesville, Va., and came away with a 3-0 victory. The Trojans would eventually fall in the third round, 2-0, to No. 1-ranked host Virginia to end their 2015 postseason.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
Baylor (14-5-2) advanced to the NCAA Second Round after outlasting in-state rival Rice 3-2 in Waco. The Bears are led in scoring by Aline De Lima with 7 goals and 7 assists on the season, while goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt has started 18 games with a 0.64 goals-against average. USC is 2-0-0 all-time against Baylor, with wins coming in 1998 (1-0) in Westwood, Calif., and in 2000 (3-1) at McAlister Field.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
No. 2 seeded host Texas A&M (18-2-1) enters the weekend on a 14-match winning streak and will face off against Notre Dame (10-6-4) in their second round match. The Aggies defeated Lamar 1-0 in the first round on their home turf at Ellis Field. Texas A&M is led in scoring by Ally Watt with 11 goals. Goalkeeper Cosette Morche has started 20 games and allowed 15 total goals (0.73 goals-against per game). USC is 0-1-1 all-time against TAMU, starting with a 3-0 loss in College Station back in 2009. The only other meeting was during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, which ended in a 0-0 tie after two overtimes. USC would advance, 4-3, on penalty kicks.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
The Fighting Irish (10-6-4) advanced to the NCAA Second Round after defeating IUPUI 5-0 at home last week. Natalie Jacobs and Jennifer Westendorf pace Notre Dame with 7 assists each and 11 and 9 goals, respectively. Two goalies have split time in between the pipes, with Brooke Littman and Lexi Nicholas seeing action. USC is 1-2-0 all-time against the Irish, with two losses coming in South Bend, Ind., in 2006 (2-0) and 2010 (4-0). The Trojans did record a 2-1 victory in 2014, also in South Bend.
NCAA NOTES
USC has won two national championships in program history (2007, 2016) and holds the distinction of being the first Pac-12 program to win an NCAA women's soccer title. Additionally, USC is the only Pac-12 school with two championships and is just one of four programs in the nation to hold multiple NCAA titles to its name. The first crown came in 2007 on the backs of All-Americans Amy Rodriguez and Kristin Olsen in goal. The Trojans shut out five of their six competitors during that run to the final in College Station, Texas, where they defeated Florida State 2-0. Nearly 10 years later, the Trojans found that winning magic once again and went on a tear in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. After hosting the first four rounds at McAlister Field, USC advanced to the College Cup at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., after downing Auburn 1-0 in the NCAA Quarterfinals. In the College Cup, the Trojans defeated two teams ranked above them — No. 5 Georgetown and No. 1 West Virginia — in the national semifinals and finals, respectively, to claim the program's second NCAA title. USC is a perfect 2-for-2 in NCAA College Cup Final appearances. The Trojans are 20-11-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
USC earned a No. 2 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in program history since earning a No. 2 seed in 2007. The Trojans had finished the regular season with a record of 14-4-1 (8-2-1 Pac-12) and hosted Big Sky Tournament champs Eastern Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at McAlister Field. After a 3-1 victory over EWU, a home win in the second round on penalty kicks (4-3) against Texas A&M, and a 1-0 Sweet Sixteen victory over Pac-12 foe Utah, the Trojans faced off against the visiting Auburn Tigers in the NCAA quarterfinal at McAlister Field again. A goal in the 4th minute by Alex Anthony would hold and propel the Trojans into the 2016 Women's College Cup for just the second time ever, where they would go on to defeat Georgetown at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., 1-0 thanks to a 60th minute finish by Katie Johnson. In the NCAA final, the underdog Trojans took on No. 1-ranked West Virginia. In an exciting championship match, USC used a goal by Morgan Andrews in the 2nd minute and a brace by Johnson in the second half to cap the 3-1 victory and the program's second national championship. With the win, head coach Keidane McAlpine became just the second African-American head coach to win an NCAA Division I women's college soccer title. Furthermore, the victory was also USC's 126th national championship.
RANKINGS
USC ranks No. 9 this week in the final United Soccer Coaches Poll (Nov. 7) and No. 11 in this week's TopDrawer Soccer Poll (No. 13). The Trojans started the season ranked No. 4 and have been ranked all season. USC has also been ranked for 28 straight weeks, dating back to Sept. 16 of 2016.
PROGRAM BEST
In going 14-1-1 in the first 16 games of 2017, USC set a new season-best start in program history since opening up 13-1-1 in 1997. Five of those wins were comeback efforts, including two comebacks with multiple goals in the last five minutes — at LMU and against Oregon.
IN THE NATION
The Trojans rank No. 8 in the nation in shots per game with 18.53. The team also ranks No. 12 nationally with a win-loss percentage of 0.816. The Trojans' RPI is currently sitting at 18 (as of Nov. 5).
LAST WEEK
The No. 3-seeded Trojans needed two overtimes and a golden goal by junior forward Erika Okuma to defeat a feisty Eastern Washington team in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, 2-1, at McAlister Field. The Eagles struck first in the 6th minute, as Chloe Williams took advantage of a rebound off redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kaylie Collins to score early and put the pressure on the Trojans. The second half saw a more energized USC squad, though, and senior forward Alex Anthony scored the equalizer in the 50th minute off an assist by sophomore forward Hailey Hite. The 1-1 stalemate would hold to the end of regulation and through the first overtime period, despite a barrage of USC shots. However, just 17 seconds into the second overtime, it was Okuma who took in a lofty ball off the foot of sophomore midfielder Ashleigh Plumptre and used a bounce off the EWU keeper's gloves to find the back of the net and score the game-winner to move USC into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Savannah DeMelo, who redshirted last fall after playing with the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team in the World Cup, has tallied four goals on the season. Those four goals scored by a freshman are the most since Elizabeth Eddy tallied five in 2010. The USC freshman record is nine goals, set by Amy Rodriguez in 2005. DeMelo also tallied three assists in USC's 4-0 victory over Oregon State, tying USC's single-game mark for assists by one player in a match.
TOP HONORS FROM TOPDRAWER
Senior defender/midfielder Nicole Molen was named to the TopDrawer Team of the Week on Sept. 11 after playing two outstanding road matches, including tallying an assist on Leah Pruitt's game-tying goal at LMU. September also saw junior defender Ally Prisock named the 25th best collegiate player by TopDrawer Soccer. This month, Prisock's status was upgraded in the new set of rankings, with the junior standing at No. 18 on the top-100 list as of Oct. 5.
PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior defender Erika Okuma was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 after tallying three assists in two victories vs. the Oregon schools, including assisting on both of the Trojan goals in the last four minutes of play in a comeback 2-1 victory over Oregon. She also helped USC to its fourth shutout of the season vs. Oregon State and shut down the Oregon offense after an early goal, keeping the game within striking distance for the last-minute comeback. A month later, junior Ally Prisock picked up honors as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following' two key road wins. Prisock and the USC back line shut out host Washington and allowed just three shots by the Huskies in the Trojans' 2-0 win in a rainy contest in Seattle. Days later at Washington State, Prisock helped anchor a 2-1 win in Pullman to keep the Trojans' undefeated run through Pac-12 play alive and well. USC held the Cougars scoreless through the last 64 minutes of action to secure the road sweep.
PRESEASON BEST XI
Junior defender Ally Prisock was named to the TopDrawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Third Team, while freshman midfielder Savannah DeMelo was named to the TopDrawer Soccer Preseason Freshmen Best XI.
WATCH LIST SEASON
Junior defender Ally Prisock, a lockdown defender on last season's team that boasted the lowest goals against average in the conference, and tallied new program highs in total shutouts (12) and shutouts in a row (7), was named to the watch list for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Award. Last season, senior midfielder Morgan Andrews became the first Trojan in program history to be named a finalist for the award.
NEVADA STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Trojans boast two Gatorade Nevada State Players of the Year in 2016-17, with freshman Arlie Jones joining the ranks with senior Sydney Sladek earning the honor in 2013-14. Jones tallied 32 goals and 13 assists as a senior to earn the honor, leading Bishop Gorman HS to a 21-3-1 record and the Class 4A Sunset Region Tournament semifinals. She was also named an NSCAA high school All-American and participated in the High School All-American Game. Sladek, who earned the honor in 2013, holds the Nevada single season scoring record with 78 goals, the Nevada career goals record with 207, and the Nevada single game scoring record with 10 goals in one match.
NATIONAL TEAM EXPERIENCE
Many of the Trojans boast national team experience, but the depth and experience representing their country runs deep for Trojan freshman. Savannah DeMelo would have been a Trojan freshman in 2016, but redshirted due to competing for the U.S. in the U-20 Women's World Cup in November. Most recently, DeMelo joined fellow freshmen Tara McKeown and Arlie Jones in the U-20 training camp in Europe in July. Prior to that,DeMelo participated in training camp with the U-19 team this past June in the Czech Republic. Junior Ally Prisock also saw action with the U-19 and U-20 squads last year as well. Ashleigh Plumptre, a native of England, has also suited up for her home country in the youth team circuit over the last few months.
THIS YEAR'S MIX
The Trojans return five regular starters from last season's national championship squad, including six who started in the national championship game vs. West Virginia (Julia Bingham, Taylor McMorrow, Ally Prisock, Alex Anthony, Amanda Rooney and Nicole Molen). In addition, three other impact players in Leah Pruitt, Sydney Sladek and Sydney Johnson return as upperclassmen with plenty of experience over their careers. Sophomore midfielder Jalen Woodward is expected to see more action this season and be a mainstay as a holding midfielder for the Trojans. The team does need to replace a lot, however, including Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year Sammy Jo Prudhomme, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mandy Freeman, and All-Pac-12 selections Morgan Andrews, Savannah Levin and Kayla Mills. Pruitt, the only Trojan named to the College Cup All-Tournament team, returns as a starting forward.
LAST SEASON
The Trojans won the program's second national title in their 15th tournament appearance. They earned a two seed (USC's highest-ever seeding) for the second time in program history, the previous time being in 2007 when the Trojans went on to win their first NCAA title, and advanced to the NCAA Women's College Cup for the second time (also in 2007). During that historical run nearly ten years ago, the Trojans battled through Creighton (3-0), Missouri (1-0), Florida (1-0), and West Virginia (1-0) to advance to the Women's College Cup in College Station, Texas. In the national semifinals, USC was pitted against top-ranked and No. 1 seed UCLA. The Trojans came away with the thrilling 2-1 victory and showed their dominance in the final against Florida State, winning 2-0 at Aggie Soccer Complex and capturing the first NCAA women's soccer title for both the program and the Pac-12 conference. Fast forward to 2016 and the Trojans' road to the national title began with a 3-1 victory over Eastern Washington in the first round, followed by a win in the second round on penalty kicks (4-3) after a 0-0 double-overtime tie against Texas A&M. In the third round, the Trojans defeated Pac-12 foe Utah 1-0 with a 73rd minute goal by Leah Pruitt to push USC into the NCAA quarterfinal against Auburn, where a 4th minute goal by Alex Anthony held up as the Trojans won 1-0 and advanced to the 2016 Women's College Cup. In the national semifinal, USC defeated Georgetown 1-0 thanks to a 60th-minute finish by Katie Johnson. The Trojans then went on to face No. 1-ranked West Virginia in yet another thrilling NCAA final, where a trio of Trojan goals—one off a header by Morgan Andrews in the second minute (the fastest ever in College Cup history) and two more in the second half by Katie Johnson (including the game-winner in the 75th minute)—gave USC the 3-1 victory and the program's second national championship. Overall, USC is 19-11-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including going a perfect 6-0 in that 2007 run.
PRO TALK
Five Trojans were taken in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, the most from any one program on the year. Midfielder Morgan Andrews, a New England native, headed to her hometown team, the Boston Breakers as the third overall pick and the highest a Trojan has ever been taken in the draft. The Trojans went back-to-back as defender Kayla Mills was the fourth overall pick to Sky Blue FC, while teammate Mandy Freeman rounded out the top 10, also drafted to Sky Blue FC. The three first-round selections were the most of any program. Forward Katie Johnson was taken in the second round, 16th overall to the Seattle Reign, while goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme was taken in the fourth round, 31st overall to Boston, where she was reunited with teammate Andrews. Prudhomme was just one of three goalkeepers to be drafted. The only previous USC player to be drafted in an NWSL Draft was Elizabeth Eddy, who was drafted as the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 draft by Sky Blue FC. Eddy is still playing the NWSL, but for the North Carolina Courage. Four other USC alums were also active in the 2017 NWSP season: Elizabeth Eddy (NC Courage), Samantha Johnson (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Kansas City FC) and Caroline Stanley (Orlando Pride). Two other Trojans are playing overseas professionally, Savannah Levin with Ko and Alex Quincey with Medkila in Norway.
The No. 3 seeded Trojans (15-3-1) take a trip to the Lone Star State this week as they continue their NCAA title defense in College Station, for the NCAA Second and Third Rounds. USC will take on Baylor (14-5-2) on Friday (Nov. 17) at 1:30 p.m. PT at Ellis Field in a second-round tilt. Should the Trojans defeat the Bears, a matchup against either No. 2-seeded host Texas A&M (18-2-1) or Notre Dame (10-6-4) awaits in the NCAA Third Round at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday (Nov. 19) at Ellis Field.
IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: SECOND/THIRD ROUNDS
The Trojans are making their 16th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth straight under head coach Keidane McAlpine. In the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Trojans hosted Texas A&M at McAlister Field in a tightly contested match that went scoreless past two overtime periods. USC would eventually advance 4-3 on penalty kicks to set up a match against Pac-12 foe Utah in the NCAA Third Round, also held at McAlister Field. A 73rd minute goal by Leah Pruitt would be the difference in that one, and the Trojans advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 1-0 victory over the Utes. In the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, USC took on Princeton in Charlottesville, Va., and came away with a 3-0 victory. The Trojans would eventually fall in the third round, 2-0, to No. 1-ranked host Virginia to end their 2015 postseason.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
Baylor (14-5-2) advanced to the NCAA Second Round after outlasting in-state rival Rice 3-2 in Waco. The Bears are led in scoring by Aline De Lima with 7 goals and 7 assists on the season, while goalkeeper Jennifer Wandt has started 18 games with a 0.64 goals-against average. USC is 2-0-0 all-time against Baylor, with wins coming in 1998 (1-0) in Westwood, Calif., and in 2000 (3-1) at McAlister Field.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
No. 2 seeded host Texas A&M (18-2-1) enters the weekend on a 14-match winning streak and will face off against Notre Dame (10-6-4) in their second round match. The Aggies defeated Lamar 1-0 in the first round on their home turf at Ellis Field. Texas A&M is led in scoring by Ally Watt with 11 goals. Goalkeeper Cosette Morche has started 20 games and allowed 15 total goals (0.73 goals-against per game). USC is 0-1-1 all-time against TAMU, starting with a 3-0 loss in College Station back in 2009. The only other meeting was during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, which ended in a 0-0 tie after two overtimes. USC would advance, 4-3, on penalty kicks.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
The Fighting Irish (10-6-4) advanced to the NCAA Second Round after defeating IUPUI 5-0 at home last week. Natalie Jacobs and Jennifer Westendorf pace Notre Dame with 7 assists each and 11 and 9 goals, respectively. Two goalies have split time in between the pipes, with Brooke Littman and Lexi Nicholas seeing action. USC is 1-2-0 all-time against the Irish, with two losses coming in South Bend, Ind., in 2006 (2-0) and 2010 (4-0). The Trojans did record a 2-1 victory in 2014, also in South Bend.
NCAA NOTES
USC has won two national championships in program history (2007, 2016) and holds the distinction of being the first Pac-12 program to win an NCAA women's soccer title. Additionally, USC is the only Pac-12 school with two championships and is just one of four programs in the nation to hold multiple NCAA titles to its name. The first crown came in 2007 on the backs of All-Americans Amy Rodriguez and Kristin Olsen in goal. The Trojans shut out five of their six competitors during that run to the final in College Station, Texas, where they defeated Florida State 2-0. Nearly 10 years later, the Trojans found that winning magic once again and went on a tear in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. After hosting the first four rounds at McAlister Field, USC advanced to the College Cup at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., after downing Auburn 1-0 in the NCAA Quarterfinals. In the College Cup, the Trojans defeated two teams ranked above them — No. 5 Georgetown and No. 1 West Virginia — in the national semifinals and finals, respectively, to claim the program's second NCAA title. USC is a perfect 2-for-2 in NCAA College Cup Final appearances. The Trojans are 20-11-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
USC earned a No. 2 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the highest seed in program history since earning a No. 2 seed in 2007. The Trojans had finished the regular season with a record of 14-4-1 (8-2-1 Pac-12) and hosted Big Sky Tournament champs Eastern Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at McAlister Field. After a 3-1 victory over EWU, a home win in the second round on penalty kicks (4-3) against Texas A&M, and a 1-0 Sweet Sixteen victory over Pac-12 foe Utah, the Trojans faced off against the visiting Auburn Tigers in the NCAA quarterfinal at McAlister Field again. A goal in the 4th minute by Alex Anthony would hold and propel the Trojans into the 2016 Women's College Cup for just the second time ever, where they would go on to defeat Georgetown at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., 1-0 thanks to a 60th minute finish by Katie Johnson. In the NCAA final, the underdog Trojans took on No. 1-ranked West Virginia. In an exciting championship match, USC used a goal by Morgan Andrews in the 2nd minute and a brace by Johnson in the second half to cap the 3-1 victory and the program's second national championship. With the win, head coach Keidane McAlpine became just the second African-American head coach to win an NCAA Division I women's college soccer title. Furthermore, the victory was also USC's 126th national championship.
RANKINGS
USC ranks No. 9 this week in the final United Soccer Coaches Poll (Nov. 7) and No. 11 in this week's TopDrawer Soccer Poll (No. 13). The Trojans started the season ranked No. 4 and have been ranked all season. USC has also been ranked for 28 straight weeks, dating back to Sept. 16 of 2016.
PROGRAM BEST
In going 14-1-1 in the first 16 games of 2017, USC set a new season-best start in program history since opening up 13-1-1 in 1997. Five of those wins were comeback efforts, including two comebacks with multiple goals in the last five minutes — at LMU and against Oregon.
IN THE NATION
The Trojans rank No. 8 in the nation in shots per game with 18.53. The team also ranks No. 12 nationally with a win-loss percentage of 0.816. The Trojans' RPI is currently sitting at 18 (as of Nov. 5).
LAST WEEK
The No. 3-seeded Trojans needed two overtimes and a golden goal by junior forward Erika Okuma to defeat a feisty Eastern Washington team in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, 2-1, at McAlister Field. The Eagles struck first in the 6th minute, as Chloe Williams took advantage of a rebound off redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kaylie Collins to score early and put the pressure on the Trojans. The second half saw a more energized USC squad, though, and senior forward Alex Anthony scored the equalizer in the 50th minute off an assist by sophomore forward Hailey Hite. The 1-1 stalemate would hold to the end of regulation and through the first overtime period, despite a barrage of USC shots. However, just 17 seconds into the second overtime, it was Okuma who took in a lofty ball off the foot of sophomore midfielder Ashleigh Plumptre and used a bounce off the EWU keeper's gloves to find the back of the net and score the game-winner to move USC into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
Savannah DeMelo, who redshirted last fall after playing with the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team in the World Cup, has tallied four goals on the season. Those four goals scored by a freshman are the most since Elizabeth Eddy tallied five in 2010. The USC freshman record is nine goals, set by Amy Rodriguez in 2005. DeMelo also tallied three assists in USC's 4-0 victory over Oregon State, tying USC's single-game mark for assists by one player in a match.
TOP HONORS FROM TOPDRAWER
Senior defender/midfielder Nicole Molen was named to the TopDrawer Team of the Week on Sept. 11 after playing two outstanding road matches, including tallying an assist on Leah Pruitt's game-tying goal at LMU. September also saw junior defender Ally Prisock named the 25th best collegiate player by TopDrawer Soccer. This month, Prisock's status was upgraded in the new set of rankings, with the junior standing at No. 18 on the top-100 list as of Oct. 5.
PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Junior defender Erika Okuma was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 26 after tallying three assists in two victories vs. the Oregon schools, including assisting on both of the Trojan goals in the last four minutes of play in a comeback 2-1 victory over Oregon. She also helped USC to its fourth shutout of the season vs. Oregon State and shut down the Oregon offense after an early goal, keeping the game within striking distance for the last-minute comeback. A month later, junior Ally Prisock picked up honors as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following' two key road wins. Prisock and the USC back line shut out host Washington and allowed just three shots by the Huskies in the Trojans' 2-0 win in a rainy contest in Seattle. Days later at Washington State, Prisock helped anchor a 2-1 win in Pullman to keep the Trojans' undefeated run through Pac-12 play alive and well. USC held the Cougars scoreless through the last 64 minutes of action to secure the road sweep.
PRESEASON BEST XI
Junior defender Ally Prisock was named to the TopDrawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Third Team, while freshman midfielder Savannah DeMelo was named to the TopDrawer Soccer Preseason Freshmen Best XI.
WATCH LIST SEASON
Junior defender Ally Prisock, a lockdown defender on last season's team that boasted the lowest goals against average in the conference, and tallied new program highs in total shutouts (12) and shutouts in a row (7), was named to the watch list for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Award. Last season, senior midfielder Morgan Andrews became the first Trojan in program history to be named a finalist for the award.
NEVADA STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Trojans boast two Gatorade Nevada State Players of the Year in 2016-17, with freshman Arlie Jones joining the ranks with senior Sydney Sladek earning the honor in 2013-14. Jones tallied 32 goals and 13 assists as a senior to earn the honor, leading Bishop Gorman HS to a 21-3-1 record and the Class 4A Sunset Region Tournament semifinals. She was also named an NSCAA high school All-American and participated in the High School All-American Game. Sladek, who earned the honor in 2013, holds the Nevada single season scoring record with 78 goals, the Nevada career goals record with 207, and the Nevada single game scoring record with 10 goals in one match.
NATIONAL TEAM EXPERIENCE
Many of the Trojans boast national team experience, but the depth and experience representing their country runs deep for Trojan freshman. Savannah DeMelo would have been a Trojan freshman in 2016, but redshirted due to competing for the U.S. in the U-20 Women's World Cup in November. Most recently, DeMelo joined fellow freshmen Tara McKeown and Arlie Jones in the U-20 training camp in Europe in July. Prior to that,DeMelo participated in training camp with the U-19 team this past June in the Czech Republic. Junior Ally Prisock also saw action with the U-19 and U-20 squads last year as well. Ashleigh Plumptre, a native of England, has also suited up for her home country in the youth team circuit over the last few months.
THIS YEAR'S MIX
The Trojans return five regular starters from last season's national championship squad, including six who started in the national championship game vs. West Virginia (Julia Bingham, Taylor McMorrow, Ally Prisock, Alex Anthony, Amanda Rooney and Nicole Molen). In addition, three other impact players in Leah Pruitt, Sydney Sladek and Sydney Johnson return as upperclassmen with plenty of experience over their careers. Sophomore midfielder Jalen Woodward is expected to see more action this season and be a mainstay as a holding midfielder for the Trojans. The team does need to replace a lot, however, including Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year Sammy Jo Prudhomme, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Mandy Freeman, and All-Pac-12 selections Morgan Andrews, Savannah Levin and Kayla Mills. Pruitt, the only Trojan named to the College Cup All-Tournament team, returns as a starting forward.
LAST SEASON
The Trojans won the program's second national title in their 15th tournament appearance. They earned a two seed (USC's highest-ever seeding) for the second time in program history, the previous time being in 2007 when the Trojans went on to win their first NCAA title, and advanced to the NCAA Women's College Cup for the second time (also in 2007). During that historical run nearly ten years ago, the Trojans battled through Creighton (3-0), Missouri (1-0), Florida (1-0), and West Virginia (1-0) to advance to the Women's College Cup in College Station, Texas. In the national semifinals, USC was pitted against top-ranked and No. 1 seed UCLA. The Trojans came away with the thrilling 2-1 victory and showed their dominance in the final against Florida State, winning 2-0 at Aggie Soccer Complex and capturing the first NCAA women's soccer title for both the program and the Pac-12 conference. Fast forward to 2016 and the Trojans' road to the national title began with a 3-1 victory over Eastern Washington in the first round, followed by a win in the second round on penalty kicks (4-3) after a 0-0 double-overtime tie against Texas A&M. In the third round, the Trojans defeated Pac-12 foe Utah 1-0 with a 73rd minute goal by Leah Pruitt to push USC into the NCAA quarterfinal against Auburn, where a 4th minute goal by Alex Anthony held up as the Trojans won 1-0 and advanced to the 2016 Women's College Cup. In the national semifinal, USC defeated Georgetown 1-0 thanks to a 60th-minute finish by Katie Johnson. The Trojans then went on to face No. 1-ranked West Virginia in yet another thrilling NCAA final, where a trio of Trojan goals—one off a header by Morgan Andrews in the second minute (the fastest ever in College Cup history) and two more in the second half by Katie Johnson (including the game-winner in the 75th minute)—gave USC the 3-1 victory and the program's second national championship. Overall, USC is 19-11-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including going a perfect 6-0 in that 2007 run.
PRO TALK
Five Trojans were taken in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, the most from any one program on the year. Midfielder Morgan Andrews, a New England native, headed to her hometown team, the Boston Breakers as the third overall pick and the highest a Trojan has ever been taken in the draft. The Trojans went back-to-back as defender Kayla Mills was the fourth overall pick to Sky Blue FC, while teammate Mandy Freeman rounded out the top 10, also drafted to Sky Blue FC. The three first-round selections were the most of any program. Forward Katie Johnson was taken in the second round, 16th overall to the Seattle Reign, while goalkeeper Sammy Jo Prudhomme was taken in the fourth round, 31st overall to Boston, where she was reunited with teammate Andrews. Prudhomme was just one of three goalkeepers to be drafted. The only previous USC player to be drafted in an NWSL Draft was Elizabeth Eddy, who was drafted as the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 draft by Sky Blue FC. Eddy is still playing the NWSL, but for the North Carolina Courage. Four other USC alums were also active in the 2017 NWSP season: Elizabeth Eddy (NC Courage), Samantha Johnson (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Kansas City FC) and Caroline Stanley (Orlando Pride). Two other Trojans are playing overseas professionally, Savannah Levin with Ko and Alex Quincey with Medkila in Norway.
Women's Soccer - USC 0, UCLA 0: Highlights (10/26/2025)
Sunday, October 26
Women's Soccer - USC 2, Iowa 2: Highlights (10/19/2025)
Sunday, October 19
Women's Soccer - USC 2, Nebraska 3: Highlights (10/16/2025)
Thursday, October 16
Women's Soccer - USC 2, Rutgers 1: Highlights (09/28/25)
Sunday, September 28
