No. 17 USC Lacrosse Hoists Pac-12 Tournament Title

Saturday, May 6

Berkeley, Calif.

12:00 PM

USC

15-3, 9-1Pac-12

Colorado

11-7, 7-3Pac-12

Colorado

USC

Photo by: Catharyn Hayne - KLC Fotos

No. 17 USC Lacrosse Hoists Pac-12 Tournament Title

May 06, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Highlights

The Women of Troy earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the Pac-12 Tournament Title, as Colorado scored the lowest amount against USC since the 2019 Pac-12 Championship Title Game

BERKELEY, Calif. - The 17th-ranked USC Lacrosse squad (16-3, 9-1 Pac-12) earned its second-ever Pac-12 Tournament Title and first since 2019, after besting Colorado (11-8, 7-3 Pac-12) 12-6 May 6 at the California Memorial Stadium.

KEY PLAYERS:

Overall all facets of the game were hit by the Trojans, as both the defense and offense came alive. On the offensive side, redshirt sophomore Isabelle Vitale and junior Maggie Brown posted a hat trick in the affair and added assists to their total. Vitale provided the most support with three assists to give her six points on the day, while Brown grabbed one assist to make her total four. This is Brown's team-high eighth hat trick for the season and puts her at nine for her career. For Vitale, this is her seventh hat trick in 2023 and her 14th total.
On the defensive side, one thing showcases the difference between the last matchup with Colorado and now. The Buff's Offensive Player of the Year, Charlie Rudy, posted just one goal in the affair, a vastly different number than the previous outing on April 14, where she had seven goals. As for defensive stats, sophomore Catherine Lord continued to excel, as she posted two caused turnovers, picked up two groundballs and claimed five draw controls. This gives her six caused turnovers and seven groundballs for the tournament.
In the circle, graduate student Katie Ramsay posted a team-high six draw controls.
Junior goalkeeper Kait Devir recorded the victory for her record, as she allowed just six goals and had four saves in the outing.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Trojans completely smothered the Buffalo offense throughout the first quarter, as they limited Colorado to just one shot and forced eight turnovers. On the offensive side, USC thrived with 11 shots under its belt and four shots that found the back of the net. Similar to how this year has played out, the Women of Troy found their rhythm by sharing the ball compared to relying on one player to score. The five-year veteran, Katie Ramsay, was the first to send it home at 11:11, as she claimed her seventh career Pac-12 Tournament goal. Ramsay continued showcasing her experience as she posted two goals in the semifinal game. The next trio of goals would come within the final five minutes, as Brown (4:27), Vitale (2:26) and sophomore Christina Gagnon (:30) all found their approaches successful before the end of the first.
After holding the Buffs scoreless throughout the first section of the game, Colorado was able to convert in the early goings at 12:35. The Trojans would matchup that effort, as their leading goal scorer once again made her presence known, as Brown posted her second goal of the evening almost a minute later at 11:33. The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth affair before the Trojans got the last laugh. The Buffs would score with :39 seconds remaining, and most believed that would end the half. However, senior Ella Heaney would play off of a Ramsay draw control perfectly, as she went down and scored off of a pass from sophomore Maddie Dora just 24 seconds after the Colorado goal. Because of this, the Trojans would enter the half up 7-3.
Colorado came on in a big way out of the break, as its squad outscored USC 3-1 to start the second half. However, the Trojans utilized the defense later in the quarter, as this run ended at 10:02 in the third. The next goal for either squad wouldn't hit the back of the net until 3:05 left in the third, and it was the Trojans that struck to mitigate the Buffs' previous run. Brown found the room and tallied her third to end the third and give USC the 9-6 advantage heading into the final quarter.
There was little happening for either side for the first few minutes of the final quarter, and then junior midfielder Claudia Shevitz struck. The reigning Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year came alive in the fourth, as she posted two straight goals to push the Trojans lead to five goals (11-6). USC would add one more before the game's closing, as Heaney found an opening with 37 seconds left. As the offense secured their side, the defense did the same: they shut out the Buffs in the final quarter to secure the Pac-12 title in the 12-6 victory.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:

UP NEXT:
USC will hear about its next steps on the Women's Lacrosse Selection Sunday Special tomorrow. The NCAA tournament field will be pieced together live at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

GAME NOTES:

This is USC's second Pac-12 Tournament title, as it won it back in 2019.
2023 and 2019 had a lot of similarities as the Trojans bested Arizona State in the semifinals and Colorado in the championship to claim the Pac-12 Tournament Title.
USC receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. It will compete in the NCAA tournament for the sixth time, as it has made it in back-to-back years.
Colorado's six goals are the lowest mark it has posted against USC since the Trojans bested the Buffs in the Pac-12 Championship in 2019.
The Women of Troy move to 5-3 all-time in the Pac-12 Tournament and are 14-11 all-time in postseason play.
USC is now 14-1 when it scores ten or more goals this season.
The Trojans improve to 112-18 all-time versus unranked opponents.