No. 20 USC Lacrosse Heads Back to the East Coast in a Top-Tier Doubleheader Weekend

LOS ANGELES- The 20th-ranked USC lacrosse team makes its way to the East Coast for its second trip into the eastern time zone, as they head to No. 16 Princeton (2-2) Friday (Mar. 10) and Hofstra (3-4) Sunday (Mar. 12). The Women of Troy hope to continue their recent stretch of claiming three straight goals by eight or more goals, as they step foot on Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium in Princeton, N.J. and James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y.

Game #6 • Friday, Mar. 10 • 9 a.m. PT
No. 20 USC (4-1) vs No. 16 Princeton (2-2)
Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium • Princeton, N.J.
SERIES HISTORY: Tigers Leads 3-0 • STREAK: L3
LAST MEETING: L, 13-18 (Mar. 8, 2022 • McAlister Field)
LIVE STREAM: ESPN +
OPPONENT WEB: goprincetontigers.com

Game #7 • Sunday, Mar. 12 • 9 a.m. PT
No. 20 USC (4-1) vs Hofstra (2-4)
James M. Shuart Stadium • Hempstead, N.Y.
SERIES HISTORY: USC Leads 2-0 • STREAK: W2
LAST MEETING: W, 9-8 (Feb. 8, 2020 • Hempstead, N.Y.)
LIVE STREAM: FloSports
OPPONENT WEB: gohofstra.com

CROSSExamination

The Trojans are 27-38 versus IWLCA-ranked teams and are 100-17 all-time versus unranked opponents.
USC is 1-1 all-time in New Jersey and 3-5 all-time in New York.
Princeton is an Ivy League competitor, and Hofstra participates in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Trojans are 4-5 against Ivy League squads, and USC has only faced two schools from the CAA as they hold a 1-5 record against Stony Brook and a 2-0 record versus Hofstra.
USC has won three consecutive games by eight or more goals for the first time since Apr. 13-26, 2018.
The Trojans' 2023 captains are graduate student midfielder Katie Ramsay, senior midfielder Sloane Murphy, senior defender Danielle Carson, and junior attacker Shelby Tilton.
USC's defense dominated this past weekend, as they only allowed ten goals in two games and limited Villanova to the least amount of goals by a team against the Trojans since Apr. 28, 2019 (Colorado, 12-3).
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.
The Trojans won both games this past weekend, led by their two Pac-12 Players of the Week. Graduate transfer Emma Wightman claimed the defensive award, and junior Maggie Brown grabbed the offensive award. USC has claimed five of the eight Pac-12 weekly honors this year.

USC will be able to showcase its potential as it battles its second Top 25 team of the year (previously No. 3 Boston College). The Tigers have suffered through mixed results this season but have dropped little, as they are 2-2, with both losses coming from Top 25 foes. The Pride owns a similar record at 3-4, as they have also dropped two games against Top 25 teams. There will be no pushovers during this eastern takeover, as USC will have to continue to own up to its reputation of hosting a stellar defense, as it has given up an average of 6.75 goals per game in its four victories this year.

The Women of Troy are led by several defensive headliners, including the most recent Pac-12 defensive player of the week, Emma Wightman. Wightman snagged five caused turnovers in this past weekend's two-game outing. Rounding out the defense is senior Danielle Carson, junior Olivia Dooley, sophomore Alexis Niblock, and goalie Kait Devir who all played essential roles in the defensive onslaught and will be relied on, heavily, in these tightly contested affairs.

For more information on the USC women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCTrojansLax.

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Players Mentioned

Maggie Brown

Danielle Carson

Kait Devir

Olivia Dooley

Sloane Murphy

Alexis Niblock

Katie Ramsay

Shelby Tilton

Emma Wightman