University Southern California Trojans
USC Soccer Takes Off For Texas
August 24, 2010 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 24, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
THIS WEEK
USC women's soccer is seeking some strong road wins this weekend as the Trojans trek to Texas for nonconference competition. USC (0-1) will first pay a visit to TCU for its first road game of the year, taking on the Horned Frogs (1-1) at 7 p.m. CT on Friday (August 27) in Forth Worth, Texas. Then, it's over to Austin to clash with the Longhorns as USC faces Texas (1-0) at 1 p.m. CT on Sunday (August 29).
RANKINGS
USC opened 2010 as the nation's No. 19 ranked team in the NSCAA preseason poll and No. 20 in the Soccer America preseason poll. With their opening loss, however, the Trojans have slipped out of the rankings, but are receiving votes in the NSCAA and SoccerTimes polls. TCU and Texas both are unranked, with the Longhorns receiving votes in NSCAA and SoccerTimes.
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats and live video streaming will be available for both USC road games this week. To access live video, visit the TCU and Texas web sites. Live stats through Gametracker will also be available on the USC soccer schedule page at usctrojans.com.
SCOUTING TCU
The Horned Frogs are 1-1 overall after beating Texas Southern 7-0 in their season opener before falling 3-0 to Texas Tech. Jordan Calhoun has scored twice and Alex Mechalske has two assists in TCU's first two games. Dan Abdalla is in his sixth season as head coach at TCU, which went 9-10-0 last season and finished sixth in the MWC. This will be the first-ever meeting between USC and TCU.
SCOUTING TEXAS
The Longhorns are 1-0 after opening the year with a 2-1 win over NC State last week. Leah Fortune scored the game-winner in the 78th minute to get the Texas win. Chris Petrucelli is in his 12th season as head coach at Texas, which went 9-9-3 overall last year and finished sixth in the Big 12. Kylie Doniak returns as last year's top scorer with five goals in 2009. This will be the first-ever meeting between USC and Texas.
LAST WEEK
USC got stuck with a 1-0 loss in its season opener last week, unable to get to the back of the net at home against San Diego. The Trojans and the Toreros were scoreless in the first half, although San Diego had the shooting edge. San Diego broke through with a goal in the 54th minute, and although USC upped its offense, the Trojans were unable to equalize. Carly Butcher had a pair of shots on goal in the match, and freshman goalkeeper Shelby Church had two saves in her USC debut. The Trojans started five freshmen for the opening game.
MARK YOUR CALENDERS FOR THE COLISEUM
The Women of Troy have their two biggest Pac-10 games of the season set up for the grand stage of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Mark your calendars for October 8 for the Trojans' clash with the conference's top-picked team Stanford at 7 p.m. at the Coliseum. And then get ready to come back again to be a part of a history-making crowd on October 22 for USC's crosstown showdown against UCLA. USC is aiming to break its attendance record that night at the Coliseum, as the Trojans and the Bruins go head-to-head at 7 p.m.
YEAR TEN
USC head coach Ali Khosroshahin is in his 10th season of collegiate head coaching. It's a milestone that he admits came faster than he expected, but there's no doubt that he has squeezed a lot of shining moments into his first decade. In his three seasons at the helm of the Women of Troy, he's continued his streak of NCAA appearances (2005 and 2006 at Cal State Fullerton; 2007-present at USC) and picked up a national championship along the way. Khosroshahin and the Trojans won the 2007 NCAA title in his first season at Troy, making USC the first Pac-10 school to ever win a women's soccer national championship. The 2007 National Coach of the Year, Khosroshahin now totes a 48-14-7 (.746) overall record at USC and 124-54-13 (.683) career record into this final season of his first decade of collegiate coaching.
CHAMPIONSHIP CORE
Four players remain from the Trojans' 2007 NCAA Championship team, providing an anchor of talent and experience around which Khosroshahin has built a powerhouse of potential for the season to come. In breaking down the 2010 Trojan roster, there is a clear balance of power. Seniors Alyssa Dávila, Megan Ohai and Karter Haug offer up winning experience from front to back, with star midfielder Ashli Sandoval slated to return as a redshirt junior after being sidelined last year by knee injury. Together, the foursome boasts a national championship as well as a wealth of experience to anchor this year's lineup. Dávila and Ohai will headline the front lines, with Sandoval shining in the middle and Haug in command of the defense.
BACK ON THE ATTACK
Over half of USC's goals last season came from the feet of returning strikers Alyssa Dávila, Sam Johnson and Megan Ohai. Seniors Dávila and Ohai are already locked into the USC record books for career scoring totals, and the pair are poised to climb even higher this year. Now a sophomore, Johnson's firepower is no secret, but the strong forward is in even better position to pack a punch at the top for USC this year along with Dávila and Ohai. Including those two senior strikers and sophomore Johnson, the Trojans return all but one goal scorer from last year. Dávila led them all with nine goals, heading up a group of 10 players to get to the back of the net. Nine of those remain, hauling back a good 87 percent of the Trojan scoring load to the pitch for 2010.
FAST FORWARDS
The wisdom and skill of USC's senior strikers Alyssa Dávila and Megan Ohai star in a younger lineup of forwards. Sophomore Samantha Johnson was a Pac-10 All-Freshman Team honoree last year, and she has a set of newcomers to follow in her footsteps. A forward with youth national team experience, true freshman Haley Boysen offers a talented and speedy option for the front line, along with the addition of Isabelle Johnson in her first season as a Trojan.
CENTER STAGE
Fancy footwork will not be contained to USC's strikers on point, however. The Trojan midfield is as diverse in its abilities and as focused on crafting a potent attack as anyone else in the business. In fact, the USC central midfield is incredibly solid, thanks in large part to the return of Ashli Sandoval, an All-Pac-10 honoree who was sidelined by knee injury early last season. The savvy midfielder is eager to get back on the pitch to kickstart the Trojan gameplan and continue her climb in USC's record books. Entering this redshirt junior season, Sandoval has served up 21 career assists to rank No. 4 all-time at USC. While Sandoval was out of the mix last year, the midfield was controlled largely by Carly Butcher and Brittany Kerridge. Now juniors, that tandem boasts experience and reliability in their roles in the midfield. On the younger side of the Trojan midfield is a pair of freshmen who bring physicality and energy to USC's strategic center. Autumn Altamirano and Allie Harrison are both slated to see time onfield, with Harrison also a potential fit at center back as well.
WING SPEED
On the flanks of the USC midfield will be a couple familiar faces to go along with the new ones. Speedy wings abound on the outside, with junior Ashley Freyer holding veteran status. Her speed also makes her a potential fit on the back line, but with a knack for the attack, Freyer fits in well as an outside mid. Courtney Garcia scored some big goals for the Trojans last year as a true freshman, giving her some confidence to go along with added experience for her return to the roster. And you didn't see her on the pitch last season, but Morgan Morrow came back from knee injury in the spring and has blended in quickly and successfully to USC's offensive onslaught as she enters her first season of action. Along with returner Lainie Ransom and walk-on Allison Dorr, USC has true freshman Elizabeth Eddy geared up to blaze a trail toward goal this season. Coming from a long line of Trojan alums, Eddy also brings a dose of experience with the U.S. Under-20 National Team.
BACK STORY
Inside and out, the USC defense has impressive balance. Along with senior Karter Haug's masterful ability to move wherever needed during her three seasons in the back, juniors Chelsea Buehning and Claire Schloemer are again locked into the defense. Buehning's booming left foot makes her a staple on that side of the field, while Schloemer mans the middle once more. Following the graduation of All-American defender Meagan Holmes, added stability comes from the new addition of Mia Bruno, an 18-under U.S. national team pool player, along with the possible insertion of her fellow freshman Allie Harrison or even the experienced Ashli Sandoval into the back line.
CAGE FIGHTERS
The question mark left on USC's roster had been lingering around the goalkeeping slot left open by the graduation of All-American Kristin Olsen and backup Brittany Massro. Khosroshahin considers the problem solved. The Trojan goalkeeping corps is back up to three, with Shelby Church holding the reins for the starting slot and Emily Miller and Anne Turner both standing tall as talented options between the pipes.
BREAK THE RECORD
The match against the Bruins will be Break the Record Night at the Coliseum, as we seek to bring a record-breaking crowd to watch the USC-UCLA clash. Two years ago, a record crowd of 7,804 fans showed up at the Coliseum for the 2008 women's soccer crosstown showdown, marking the largest attendance ever at a USC-UCLA women's soccer match -- beating the crowd that saw USC's 2-1 victory over UCLA in College Station, Texas, at the 2007 NCAA semifinal -- and obliterated the previous USC record for attendance at a soccer game. There will be prizes and giveaways throughout this season's USC-UCLA match, so mark your calendars now for October 22 to help us make history!
LAST SEASON
In 2009, USC made its fifth consecutive NCAA appearance in reaching the first round, falling in penalty kicks to Oklahoma State. The Trojans had pieced together a nine-game winning streak during the season, and finished Pac-10 play in fourth place with a 4-3-2 mark. Overall, the Women of Troy posted 12-6-3 record on the year and finished up ranked No. 24 in the final NSCAA national poll. Senior goalkeeper Kristin Olsen was a back-to-back Pac-10 Player of the Week last season, going on to be named a Hermann Trophy semifinalist and a NSCAA First Team All-American. Olsen also led a group of four USC All-Pac-10 honorees. Olsen was selected to the All-Pac-10 First Team, junior midfielder Alyssa Dávila picked up her first Pac-10 award with a spot on the Second Team; senior Meagan Holmes earned her third All-Pac-10 honor with an Honorable Mention pick and freshman Samantha Johnson was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team to open her Trojan playing career.
