No. 20 USC Lacrosse Hosts Ohio State in McAlister Home Opener Sunday

LOS ANGELES - The 20th-ranked USC lacrosse squad (0-1) seeks to rebound as it welcomes future foe Ohio State (2-0) to sunny Southern California in the Trojans home opener. First draw for this non-conference bout is set for 1 p.m. PT, Sunday (Feb. 19) at Soni McAlister Field.

Game #2 • Sunday, Feb. 19 • 1 p.m. PT
No. 20 USC (0-1) vs. Ohio State (2-0)
Soni McAlister Field • Los Angeles
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 1-0 (1.000) • STREAK: W1
LAST MEETING: W, 16-7 (Mar. 26, 2017 • Mountain Lakes, N.J.)
LIVE STREAM: USC Live Stream
OPPONENT WEB: ohiostatebuckeyes.com

CROSSExamination

USC is 6-4 all-time in home openers and has won four straight since 2019.
The Trojans are 96-17 all-time versus unranked opponents and currently has an eight-game win streak against unranked teams at McAlister Field.
The Buckeyes compete in the Big Ten women's lacrosse conference. The women's lacrosse portion of the conference started in 2015, and since then, the Women of Troy have a record of 6-2 against B1G opponents.
The Women of Troy will join the Big Ten conference starting in 2024.
USC's lone matchup against the Buckeyes happened in 2017 in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, on the field that Lindsey Munday played on in high school (Mountain Lakes HS), Wilkins Field. The Trojans ended up winning that game 16-7.
The Trojans' 2023 captains are graduate student midfielder Katie Ramsay, senior midfielder Sloane Murphy, senior defender Danielle Carson, and junior attacker Shelby Tilton.
Olivia Dooley is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The league's Defensive Player of the Year has come from USC two times since the award began being issued. Jackie Gilbert was chosen in 2019.
11th-year head coach Lindsey Munday is 123-55 (.691) all-time and was the Pac-12's Coach of the Year in 2019.

USC is coming off a tough season opener as they dropped their first road matchup with a 14-3 loss at No. 3 Boston College. That is the first time since 2015 that the Women of Troy dropped their season opener. USC is 6-3 all-time when they return home directly after a road loss.

The Trojans return a healthy portion of their lineup, including the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in senior Olivia Dooley. USC also returns three All-Pac-12 Conference players in their three attackers: senior Ella Heaney, junior Shelby Tilton, and redshirt sophomore Isabelle Vitale. Dooley is joined on the defensive end by the Women of Troy's newest member, graduate transfer Emma Wightman. Wightman earned recognition in 2022 by being the AAC Defensive Player of the Year for Florida. Dooley and Wightman were both selected to the preseason All-American Honorable Mention List. Dooley is also the only Trojan selected to the Tewaaraton Watch List. USC's four captains this year include Tilton, graduate student Katie Ramsay, senior Danielle Carson and senior Sloane Murphy.

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Players Mentioned

Danielle Carson

Olivia Dooley

Ella Heaney

Sloane Murphy

Katie Ramsay

Shelby Tilton

Isabelle Vitale

Emma Wightman