USC
Washington State
Trojans Fight Back For 3-2 Win Over WSU
October 29, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Oct. 29, 2010
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- There's been something about Washington State has given the USC women's soccer team trouble in recent years, but the Trojans finally turned the tide on the Cougars today with a 3-2 comeback win at McAlister Field. Three scoreless ties in the previous four years were interrupted only by a 2-1 loss to WSU in 2007 -- the year the Women of Troy went on to capture the NCAA championship. But after two games of scoring silence, USC broke through today with three second-half goals to battle back and ultimately claim a long-awaited victory on senior defender Karter Haug's game-winning blast in the 83rd minute. USC improves to 10-4-3 overall and is now 3-2-1 in Pac-10 play. WSU goes to 6-12, 1-5.
Off-kilter in the first half, the Trojans were off their mark on early attempts, while Washington State managed to work ahead in the 29th minute after an Eileen Maes corner kick. The ball came back to Maes, who sent it to Ali Fenter 20 yards out on the right side. Fenter took a swing and launched the ball on frame, where USC goalkeeper Shelby Church got a touch on it, but only enough to knock the ball to the crossbar, and the ball rattled down and in across the goalline to take the Cougars ahead 1-0. The deficit seemed to wake up the Trojans, but they couldn't get an equalizer before the close of the half, as USC entered the halftime break in a 1-0 hole.
The Trojans upped the pressure in the second half and finally broke through after forcing a pair of saves out of WSU goalkeeper Ariana Byrd. On a quick corner in the 52nd minute, Alyssa Dávila pushed the ball to Karter Haug. Haug took it and delivered a pass to Brittany Kerridge, and Kerridge buried her blast into the upper right corner of the goal for the junior midfielder's first goal of the year. Now even 1-1, USC had new life, and the intensity cranked up and stayed there the rest of the way. Seven minutes later, USC charged up on another attack. Megan Ohai headed the ball out wide for Autumn Altamirano, and the freshman sent the ball from the deep right side all the way to across, tucking the ball into the left side of the net for an impressive go-ahead goal that put the Trojans on top 2-1.
USC's advantage would be short-lived, however. Just 10 minutes after Kerridge had delivered the equalizer for USC, WSU's Rachael Doyle launched in a 25-yard free kick that tugged the Cougars back even with the Trojans. Again, the game was locked up, this time 2-2 in the 62nd minute of action as the teams dug back in for the push to avoid a potential third straight overtime game against one another. Haug was the enforcer this time. After a flip throw-in from Ohai deep in Cougar territory, the ball popped back out to Haug about 30 yards away from goal. Haug had been working hard to try to set up goals for the Trojans throughout the game, but this time she took matters into her own hands, rocketing the ball all the way in to the top left corner from 30 yards out. Having bumped her team ahead 3-2 in the 83rd minute, Haug then settled back into her defensive role to protect her first career game-winner and hold off the Cougars from any hopes of locking the game back up. USC's lead would stay intact for the remaining seven minutes of play, giving Haug the winner and USC the Pac-10 victory. It's USC's first win over WSU since 2005 after scoreless ties in 2006, 2008 and 2009 and a 2-1 loss in Pullman in 2007.
Next up for the Trojans is their final home game of the regular season. On Sunday (Oct. 31) USC hosts Washington in a 1 p.m. match that will be preceded by a Senior Day ceremony that will honor USC's graduating seniors Alyssa Dávila, Karter Haug, Megan Ohai and Lainie Ransom.
Friday, Oct. 29 -- McAlister Field
#23 USC 3, Washington State 2
USC 0 - 3 = 3
WSU 1 - 1 = 2
SCORING:
28:10 -- WSU: Ali Fenter (Eileen Maes)
51:10 -- USC: Brittany Kerridge (Karter Haug)
58:26 -- USC: Autumn Altamirano (Megan Ohai)
61:05 -- WSU: Rachael Doyle (unassisted)
82:48 -- USC: Haug (unassisted)
SAVES: Shelby Church (USC) 2, Ariana Byrd (WSU) 9, Team (WSU) 1.
SHOTS: USC 20, WSU 6
CORNER KICKS: USC 6, WSU 1
FOULS: USC 13, WSU 12
