University Southern California Trojans
No. 11 Trojans Prepare For No. 5 UCLA
October 03, 2000 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 3, 2000
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THIS WEEK -- The No. 11 USC women's soccer team (8-1-1) will host the No. 5 UCLA Bruins in its only match this week on Sunday (Oct. 8) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 1 p.m.
NEXT WEEK -- USC will host Oregon on Friday (Oct. 13) in a 3 p.m. match at McAlister Field and Oregon State on Sunday (Oct. 15) in a 1 p.m. match at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
LAST WEEK -- The Trojans tied at No. 23 BYU, 1-1, on Thursday (Sept. 28) and won at Utah, 4-1, on Saturday (Sept. 30). In Thursday's contest, the Trojans made an adjustment in order to absorb the Cougars' offensive attack as BYU outshot USC by a 38-7 margin. The Trojans had taken a 1-0 lead at halftime, a surprising result for fans who had not seen BYU lose at home since 1998. BYU tied the game in the second half as USC goalkeeper Lauren Arase made 21 saves in goal. On Saturday, the Trojans fell behind early on a goal by Amy Kofoed at 24:29. Six minutes later, the Trojans caught a break when Utah's Lesa Zollinger received a red card for a deliberate hand ball in the penalty box. Isabelle Harvey tied the game on the penalty kick for USC and the Trojans added another penalty kick goal by Andrea Warner four minutes later after another Utah foul in the box. Jennifer Prigmore added a goal and an assist in the second half while Jessica Edwards scored as time expired. The four goals represented the highest total of the season for the Trojans, who matched the 1997 team for best record after 10 games.
RANKINGS -- As of Oct. 2, USC is ranked No. 11 by Soccer Buzz, No. 15 in Soccer America and Soccer Times and No. 21 by the NSCAA poll.
EUROPEAN VACATION -- For the first time in the program's history, the women's soccer team went on an extended preseason trip. The Trojans played four games during a 12-day tour of Germany and Belgium (Aug. 11-22), going 4-0 and outscoring their opponents by a 16-3 margin. USC opened the tour with a 5-2 win over FSV Frankfurt with a two-goal performance by junior Christy Callier. Freshman Jessica Edwards scored twice as the Trojans defeated the Belgian National Team, 5-1, on Aug. 17, with Isabelle Harvey, Ali Fennell and Megan Orach also scoring goals. Callier added another two-goal game on Aug. 19 in a 4-0 shutout of V.V. Saestum, the current Dutch national champions. Freshman Megan Abbamonto scored both goals to complete the tour sweep on Aug. 21 in a 2-0 win over RSV Anderlecht.
BRUINS BUZZ -- No. 5 UCLA is 8-1 on the season and has won eight straight games since an opening 1-0 loss at then-No. 6 Clemson. The Bruins have recorded six straight shutouts and have outscored their opponents by a 30-2 margin this season. Sarah-Gayle Swanson and Tracey Milburn lead the team with seven goals each. Goalkeeper CiCi Peterson has allowed only two goals this season and has a 0.24 goals-against-average with an 8-1 record and seven shutouts. Head Coach Jillian Ellis is returning from Sydney, Australia, after serving as the an assistant coach for the United States women's soccer team. The U.S. team won the silver medal after losing to Norway, 3-2, in the gold medal match.
USC VS. UCLA -- UCLA holds a 7-2 series advantage. Ironically, both UCLA losses came at the Coliseum in 1996 (3-2) and 1998 (5-4). The Bruins defeated the Trojans, 3-0, last year in Westwood.
RING MY BELL -- Midfielder/forward Isabelle Harvey (Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada) is receiving accolades as one of the top collegiate players this season as a senior. Harvey was named as a first team preseason All-American by College Soccer News and has been named as a finalist for the Hermann Award, given to the top player in the nation. The three-time All-American currently holds school career marks for goals (44), points (122) and game-winning goals (20). She is also second in assists (33), three behind Kim Clark (1996-99). Harvey opened the 2000 season on Aug. 27 with an assist on the Trojans' first goal in a 2-0 win at UC Irvine off a corner kick. She recorded a two-goal game against No. 21 Michigan on Sept. 3 in Tempe, Ariz. Harvey is tied for first on the team with 10 points (4-2=10). Last season, Harvey led the team with 30 points (11-8=30). On Oct. 17, 1999, Harvey recorded two assists against Washington State, becoming the first player in USC history to record 100 points in a career. Harvey also played for Canada in the 1999 Women's World Cup.
PHOENIX PHENOM -- Freshman Jessica Edwards (Mesa, AZ/Dobson HS) has made an immediate impact on the team and is adding scoring punch for the Women of Troy this season. She is tied for the team lead with 10 points (4-2=10). Edwards recorded her fourth goal of the season on Sept. 30 at Utah (4-1 win) as time expired at the end of the second half. On Sept. 8, Edwards scored two goals and added an assist in USC's 3-1 win over Baylor. She scored a goal and led the team with a game-high eight shots on Aug. 27 in a 2-0 win at UC Irvine. She leads the team with 52 shots (sophomore Ali Fennell is second with 18 shots).
TAKING A SHOT AT THE RECORD -- Jessica Edwards is on pace to challenge Maggie Merritt's record for most shots in a season. Edwards has 52 shots through 10 games and is on pace to record 104 shots this season (Merritt registered 92 shots in the 1994 season).
A PERFECT WORLD -- Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Arase (La Canada/La Canada HS) is 6-0-1 this season for the Trojans and has allowed only three goals for a 0.41 goals-against-average. She opened the season with her third solo career shutout on Aug. 27 in a 2-0 win against UC Irvine. Arase made three saves on five UCI shots. She started and won both matches at the Sun Devil Classic, including her fourth solo shutout on Sept. 1 in a 1-0 decision against Colorado. On Sept. 10 vs. Vanderbilt, she added her fifth solo shutout, making four saves in a 3-0 victory. Arase recorded her fourth shutout of the season on Sept. 22, making three saves in a 1-0 decison at home against Loyola Marymount. Arase is now 13-0-1 as a starter for the Trojans.
SAVING THE DAY -- Lauren Arase registered a career night on Sept. 28 when she made 21 saves in a 1-1 tie at No. 23 BYU. BYU recorded 38 shots in 120 minutes against Arase, who missed tying the school record of 23 saves by a goalkeeper in a match (held by Cathy Zoccoli in 1993 vs. Stanford).
SUPER SOPHOMORE -- Sophomore Ali Fennell (Santa Ana/Mater Dei HS) thrived for the Trojans last season in her freshman campaign and, along with Harvey, gives USC one of the top 1-2 tandems on the flanks. Fennell is fourth on the team in scoring with eight points (3-2=8). On Sept. 10 against Vanderbilt, Fennell scored two goals and added an assist in the Trojans' 3-0 shutout. Last year, she was third on the team in scoring with 16 points (6-4=16). Among the highlights in 1999, she was named a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Week (Sept. 13 and 20) and to the Soccer America Team of the Week twice. She received the first award after scoring the game-winner against then-No. 8 UConn and assisting on the game-winner against then-No. 12 Portland. After scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over then-No. 8 BYU, she received the second set of honors.
DOUBLE TROUBLE -- The Women of Troy have a sister act this season with the presence of sophomore Kim and freshman Megan Abbamonto (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley HS). Both midfielders have played in every game this season. Kim, who has been hampered in two seasons (one as a redshirt) by injuries, has made solid contributions off the bench while Megan has three goals and three assists for the Trojans.
PLAYING WITH `ABBA'ILITY -- Megan Abbamonto is third on the team with nine points (3-3=9). She leads the team with three assists. She scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 decision on Sept. 17 against Central Florida in Gainesville, Fla. Abbamonto has dominated the midfield for the Trojans in her first season, she is tied for the team lead with Isabelle Harvey with two game-winning goals.
WHO'S HOT: -- Senior midfielder Andrea Warner has a goal in two straight games. -- Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Arase is 6-0-1 this season.
THE PERFECT FALL (ALMOST) -- The strong start by the women's soccer team is just part of a good fall for USC's athletic teams. As of Oct. 2, the USC football team is 3-1 and ranked No. 16 in the nation, the women's volleyball team is ranked No. 1 at 11-0 and the men's water polo team is 9-1 on the season for a combined teams' record of 31-3-1.
FORWARD PROGRESS -- With the new offensive system in place for the 2000 season, the team will utilize three forwards. Junior Christy Callier and freshman Jessica Edwards will take the first two spots in the starting lineup. Junior Brittany Savelkoul (Seal Beach/Los Alamitos HS) and sophomores Jackie Fodor (Winnetka/Chatsworth HS) and Jennifer Prigmore (Norman, Okla./Norman North HS) will battle for the final spot.
ON MIDDLE GROUND -- A mix of experience and talent exemplifies the strength of the team: the midfield. Senior Isabelle Harvey and sophomore Ali Fennell create a 1-2 punch on the flanks for the Women of Troy while senior Katie Ticehurst serves as the defensive leader in the middle. Senior Andrea Warner (Dana Point/Dana Hills HS) is pencilled in as the offensive midfielder, but will see some competition from freshman Megan Abbamonto (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley HS), who was named Orange County Player of the Year in 1999 by the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times. Abbamonto's sister, Kim, is also back in her sophomore season after spending two seasons on the sidelines with various hip and lower back injuries. Adding depth to the midfield are senior Barbara Almaraz (Ventura/Ventura College), who played for Mexico in the 1999 Women's World Cup, junior Liane Nakano (Fountain Valley/Fountain Valley HS) and sophomore Tawny Flores (Los Angeles/Santa Monica HS). A surprise competitor may be freshman Becky Miller (Westlake Village/La Reina HS), who played well during the team's recent European tour.
DEFENDERS OF THE CROWN -- Senior Megan Orach (Huntington Beach/Marina HS), a forward her first two seasons, and Susie Mora (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita HS), a starter for Mexico in the 1999 Women's World Cup, anchor the Trojans' defense in 2000. Junior Erin Reed (Alamo/San Ramon Valley HS), who made seven starts last season, has locked up the left back starting position. Junior Liane Nakano (Fountain Valley/Fountain Valley HS) and sophomore Stephanie Scholl (Torrance/South Torrance HS) add depth as returners while the team will also see some action this season from freshmen Nicole Goza (Walnut Creek/Carondelet HS) and Amanda Roach (Upland/Upland HS).
GOALKEEPER GOSSIP -- For the first time in the program's history, the Women of Troy have four goalkeepers. This season, the team will utilize the same starting tandem that was used last year. Junior Shaelyn Fernandes (San Jose/Presentation HS) was 7-6 last year and had a 1.332 goals-against-average while sophomore Lauren Arase, a member of the U.S. Under-18 National Team pool, was 7-0 as a starter with a 0.631 goals-against average. Fernandes had four solo shutouts while Arase had two. Both keepers combined for three shutouts in 1999. Two freshmen, Taylor Amaro (Clovis/San Joaquin Memorial HS) and Julie Peterson (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita HS), will back up the Trojans' starting tandem.
CLASS BREAKDOWN -- The Women of Troy are led by six seniors this season with five juniors, seven sophomores and 11 freshmen.
LAST SEASON -- In 1999, the Women of Troy went 14-6 overall and placed second in Pac-10 play with a 7-2 record. The Trojans made their second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, losing at home to SMU in the first round, 1-0, in two overtimes. It was the fourth straight season that USC won at least 14 games. #
