No. 24 USC Women's Soccer Plays at No. 4 Duke, No. 3 North Carolina

LOS ANGELES – The No. 24 USC women's soccer team hits the road for a pair of Top 5 matchups this week, heading to No. 4 Duke on Thursday and No. 3 North Carolina on Sunday.

HOW TO FOLLOW - Both games will be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra. Links for the broadcast and live stats can be found on the women's soccer schedule page at USCTrojans.com. In-game updates will also be available on Twitter by following @USC_Wsoccer.

SOCIAL MEDIA - Keep up with everything USC women's soccer this year by following the Trojans on all of their social media platforms. You can follow @USCWsoccer on Instagram and @USC_Wsoccer on Twitter, and like USC Women's Soccer on Facebook.

SERIES VS DUKE - The Trojans are 1-2 all-time against the Blue Devils. The most recent meeting came in 2015, when Duke picked up a 1-0 victory in Durham. The teams have played twice in North Carolina (2015, 1999) and once in Los Angeles (2012). USC's lone win came in 1999.

SERIES VS UNC - USC owns a 1-4 all-time record against North Carolina. The teams' last meeting was an NCAA Quarterfinals matchup in 2019, a thriller which UNC won 3-2. The Trojans' lone win in the series came the meeting before when USC beat the Tar Heels 3-0 at home.

OPENER VS MICHIGAN - USC opened the 2023 campaign with a victory over Michigan, shutting out the Wolverines 1-0. Simone Jackson scored a first half goal and the USC defense held Michigan to just two shots in the game and none in the second half.

BLUE DEVIL CONNECTION - The Trojans' matchup with Duke has some extra significance for USC Head Coach Jane Alukonis as she played collegiately for the Blue Devils from 2006-09. She helped Duke make the NCAA Tournament all four years she was in Durham and was a captain on the 2009 squad.

FAREWELL TOUR - USC will be playing its final season in the Pac-12 this year, after announcing in June of 2022 that the school would be making a move to the Big 10 starting in fall of 2024. UCLA also announced it would be moving to the Big 10 in conjunction with the Trojans. USC has a pair of future conference opponents on the schedule in Michigan and Purdue.

RAWLINSON STADIUM - The Trojans also made a big announcement this past week (June 12), when the University announced plans to build a new soccer and lacrosse stadium. Rawlinson Stadium will replace and expand upon the current site of play for the teams: Soni McAlister Field at 30th and Hoover streets just north of the University Park Campus. The $38 million project will break ground before the end of the year and is scheduled to be completed early in 2025.

YEAR TWO - USC is entering its second season under Head Coach Jane Alukonis in 2023. The Trojans finished last season 12-3-3 overall and 8-1-2 (3rd) in the Pac-12. USC made its ninth straight postseason appearance in Alukonis' first season at the helm and finished the year No. 23 in the rankings. USC reached as high as No. 8 in the polls, had a 4-0 record against ranked opponents and picked up big wins over No. 1 UCLA and No. 7 Stanford.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE - The Trojans again play one of the most challenging schedules in the country, with 50% of USC's opponents (9-of-18) appearing in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. UCLA and North Carolina played for the NCAA title last year, with the Bruins taking the crown. Duke made it to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Tournament, and Stanford and Georgia made appearances in the second round. Arizona State, Cal, Utah Valley and New Mexico State also made the NCAA postseason in 2022. Four Trojan opponents also finished last season in the final rankings of the year, with UCLA at No. 1, UNC at No. 2, Duke at No. 6 and Stanford at No. 16. Georgia and Cal were both receiving votes in the final poll as well. USC finished the season tied for No. 23 in the coaches poll.

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Players Mentioned

Simone Jackson