Three Second Half Goals Lead USC Past Northern Arizona

Friday, September 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

3:00 PM

USC

4-0-0, 0-0-0

Northern Arizona

2-0-1, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Northern Arizona	0	0	0
USC	0	3	3

Highlights

Photo by: John McGillen

Three Second Half Goals Lead USC Past Northern Arizona

September 06, 2019 | Women's Soccer, Features

Box Score Highlights Final Stats

LOS ANGELES – The No. 4 USC women's soccer team got three second half goals and stellar defense all afternoon to cruise to a 3-0 win over Northern Arizona at home on Friday afternoon.

Three different players scored in the game to move USC to 5-0 on the year, while Northern Arizona falls to 2-1-1 with the loss.

Nothing was going for either side in the opening half, with USC holding an 8-3 shots advantage in the first 45 minutes.

It would be Penelope Hocking in the first minute of the second half to break the scoreless tie, getting a ball on the far side of the field and dribbling herself all the way into the box for the goal. Tara McKeown would follow midway through the final period, collecting a header from Ashleigh Plumptre and firing in a shot from the top of the box.

Taylor McMorrow put the exclamation point on the win in the 83rd minute, grabbing a loose ball in the area and then dribbling toward the top of the box and firing off a shot for her first goal of the year.

The Trojans allowed just four shots in the game for Northern Arizona and just one in the second half.

GOALS
46' – USC: Penelope Hocking (no assist) – Hocking got the ball off a throw on the left sideline, dribbled across the field and into the box, then sent a shot back across the face of the goal and inside the left post for the score.

68' – USC: Tara McKeown (assisted by Ashleigh Plumptre) – Plumptre headed a ball near midfield that fell to McKeown near the top of the box, McKeown then took a touch and fired a shot inside the far left post.

83' – USC: Taylor McMorrow (no assist) – McMorrow collected the ball near the top of the box, then dribbled to her left and fired off a shot that dipped in under the post.

NOTABLE

The shutout was the third of the season for USC and the first career shutout for Anna Smith in goal.
Friday matched the lowest shot total (4) the Trojans have held an opponent to this season (also vs. San Francisco, 8/25)
Tara McKeown has scored in every game this season and leads the team with seven goals.
This is the first time under Head Coach Keidane McAlpine the Trojans have started a season 5-0, and the first time for the program since 2000.

UP NEXT
USC hosts Nebraska on Sunday. Sunday's game against Cornhuskers will be Senior Day for the Trojans.

Hear from Head Coach @Kmcdane after a home shutout by the Trojans.#FightOn | #FocUSed pic.twitter.com/k2wQrrIGTP
— USC Women's Soccer (@USC_WSoccer) September 7, 2019