University Southern California Trojans
USC Visits No. 17 Illinois and Purdue
August 31, 2011 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 31, 2011
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THIS WEEK
The USC women's soccer team is looking to get some winning momentum going as the Trojans head out of state this week for more nonconference action. USC (1-3) has a midwestern journey on the agenda, first paying a visit to No. 17 Illinois (4-0) for a 7 p.m. ET clash on Friday (Sept. 2). That showdown is a rematch of last year's NCAA First Round in South Bend, Ind., where USC advanced with a win over the Fighting Illini. The Trojans will then head over to Purdue (1-3) for a 1 p.m. ET matchup on Sunday (Sept. 4).
FOLLOW ALONG
Live stats will be available for this weekend's matches. Click on the Gametracker link for each game on the USC soccer schedule page at usctrojans.com.
RANKINGS
USC opened the year ranked No. 25 in both the NSCAA and Soccer America preseason polls, but dropped out of the polls after opening losses. The Trojans are receiving votes in this week's Soccer Times poll. Illinois weighs in at No. 17 in the NSCAA polls and No. 19 in the Soccer America poll.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
The No. 17 Fighting Illini are undefeated at 4-0 to start 2011 after beating Ball State 5-0 and Louisville 2-1 in overtime last week on the road. Vanessa DiBernardo and Niki Read lead Illinois in scoring with five and four goals, respectively, to date. Goalkeeper Steph Panozza has made seven saves with three goals against in those four wins. Janet Rayfield is in her 10th year as head coach of the Illini, who went 13-5-1 overall and finished fourth in the Big Ten at 6-3-1 before reaching the NCAA First Round, where they collided with USC in South Bend, Ind. In the teams' first-ever meeting, the Trojans beat Illinois 3-1 in that 2010 postseason clash.
SCOUTING PURDUE
The Boilermakers enter the week at 1-3 overall after falling to No. 24 Oregon State 1-0 and losing to Missouri 4-2 last weekend. Purdue has three players with a goal apiece to date: Alex Hairston, Alexis Tryba and Kaitlyn Blacha. Clara Kridler has been Purdue's goalkeeper, making 21 saves and allowing eight goals in the first four games. Robert Klatte is in his 14th year as head coach of the Boilermakers, who went 6-12-2 last season, finished eighth in the Big Ten at 4-5-2. USC and Purdue faced for the first time in program history last season, when the Trojans got a 1-0 win on Sept. 5, 2010, in Fullerton, Calif.
LAST WEEK
USC registered a split down in San Diego, taking a tough 3-2 loss to Kansas before putting a stop to a three-game skid with a 2-1 win over Pacific. Brittany Kerridge had a productive day for the Trojans vs. the Jayhawks, setting up USC's opening goal by delivering an assist - her second of the year - to Kristina Noriega in the 5th minute of play. Kerridge would come up big for USC in the 41th minute, after the Jayhawks had made a comeback push to take a 2-1 lead on goals from Amy Grow and Whitney Berry in the 16th and 38th minutes, respectively. Kerridge's equalizer came on a free kick blast, pulling USC even for a 2-2 lockup going into halftime, but Kansas managed a 61st minute winner that stood up. USC had overpowered the Jayhawks on the shot count, but couldn't find the goal to spark a comeback. Against Pacific, USC was determined to get a win on the board. Elizabeth Eddy knocked in an early goal, and Samantha Johnson earned a penalty kick two minutes later, converted by Kerridge, for a 2-0 lead. Pacific got a PK as well in the 89th minute, but USC's advantage held and the Trojans had the win. The two-goal, one-assist weekend by Kerridge gathered in five more points for the senior, whose previous season high had been five points total.
INJURY REPORT
USC has two players sidelined for the season with ACL injuries. Sophomore defender Mia Bruno suffered a tear during the spring, and freshman defender Heather Davis was injured during high school. Two Trojans return to the lineup after season-ending knee injuries sustained last season -- redshirt junior defender Chelsea Buehning and redshirt sophomore midfielder Morgan Morrow.
LAST SEASON
USC went 13-6-3 overall last season after a third-place finish in the Pac-10 with a 5-3-1 mark. The Trojans reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season, beating Illinois 3-1 in the first round before falling 4-0 to eventual NCAA champion Notre Dame. Ashli Sandoval was USC's top scorer with six goals -- including three game-winners -- while Autumn Altamirano and Elizabeth Eddy each added five goals. Karter Haug was USC's assists leader with six assists, and Shelby Church was USC's goalkeeper of record in all games as she hauled in 82 saves with 25 goals against. Pac-10 honors went to seniors Haug and Megan Ohai on the Second Team and Alyssa Dávila with honorable mention along with Sandoval. Eddy was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
ON THE CLIMB
In spite of interruptions from injuries, USC redshirt senior Ashli Sandoval has already locked in on the USC career leader boards. As she enters her final season with the Trojans, the 2007 NCAA Champion is following up her call-up to the Mexican National Team's summer training camp with one last push to the top of the lists at Troy. Sandoval has a hold with the No. 4 all-time mark in career assists (23), No. 8 in career game-winning goals (5), No. 10 in career points (51) and No. 10 in career goals (14).
BACK ON THE ATTACK
Five of USC's top seven scorers in 2010 were either freshmen or sophomores. That sure-footed unit returns for 2011, along with leading scorer Ashli Sandoval, who provided six goals in 2010 after being sidelined in 2009 with an ACL injury. As freshmen, Autumn Altamirano, Haley Boysen and Elizabeth Eddy accounted for a third of USC's goal-scoring in 2010. Now sophomores with some extra savvy, that trio combines forces with Sandoval, senior Ashley Freyer and juniors Courtney Garcia and Samantha Johnson as the Trojans bring back seven of their top eight scorers. Thirteen different Women of Troy got to the back of the net to tally 39 goals in 2010.
UP FRONT
USC has a battalion of talent ready to rattle opposing defenses and ring up the goal tally for the Trojans. Senior Ashley Freyer and Samantha Johnson have been the most prolific scorers of the bunch, with 17 career goals between them. But the resumes of the USC strikers across the board are also trending toward a stockpile of goals. Sophomore Elizabeth Eddy tallied five goals in her first season at Troy, and junior Courtney Garcia has chimed in with four game-winning goals in her first two seasons at USC. Those returners to the front lines will have extra punch coming with at healthy Morgan Morrow in the mix. Morrow has now come back from two ACL injuries as she boots up for 2011. Returners Eddy, Freyer, Garcia, Johnson and Morrow will be joined by some speedy new feet as well. Freshmen Elizabeth Caparis and Jessica Musmanno are tabbed for duty up front along with junior transfer Erica Vangsness.
CENTER STAGE
The support staff a step behind the front lines encompasses a veteran group of midfielders, anchored primarily by senior standouts Carly Butcher, Brittany Kerridge and Ashli Sandoval in the middle. Johnson and Morrow also will factor into the midfield crew for stints, along with sophomore Haley Boysen, who was recently called up to the U.S. Under-20 National Team camp, and junior Isabelle Johnson.
BACKUP PLAN
Backing up that central unit for the Trojans is the USC defensive corps, where senior Claire Schloemer stands tall as the veteran of the group. She may well have some extra senior support with the insertion of Freyer and Sandoval in the back at times, but by and large the USC back line has a new look with the incorporation of the versatile Autumn Altamirano and Courtney Garcia. Newcomers will also factor in largely, with junior transfer Kristina Noriega and freshman Geena Graumann called in for duty on defense while redshirt junior Chelsea Buehning works her way back from injury.
KEEPING STEADY
For the first time in a while, USC can freely use the word "deep" in relation to its goalkeeping staff. The Trojans go four deep this season, with sophomore Shelby Church -- another U.S. Under-20 camper -- owning the veteran status as USC's full-time goalkeeper in 2010. Backup Anne Turner is back in the mix, with freshman additions Carley Pennington and Lindsey Brown also vying for glove-time in goal this season.
A DECADE IN
USC head coach Ali Khosroshahin just finished up 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 four 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 and only Pac-12 school to ever win a women's soccer national championship. The 2007 National Coach of the Year, Khosroshahin totes a 61-20-10 (.725) overall record at USC and 137-60-16 (.681) career record into this final season of his first decade of collegiate coaching.
