Written by Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
With his team's epic, come-from-behind, penalty kick victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament still fresh in his mind, USC women's soccer head coach Keidane McAlpine sat down for his weekly team update to give a recap of the win and a preview of what awaits the Trojans in the second round. The head coach praised the "special" performance of junior Morgan Andrews, whose first career hat trick at USC propelled the Trojans to penalty kicks, as well as Kayla Mills who had two assists in the game and Mandy Freeman who anchored the midfield.
"The resolve of our team was fantastic on the day," said the head coach. "They never stopped believing the fact that they could get back into the game. They just kept going at it."
The nature of postseason play means you can only dwell on a victory - no matter how sweet - for so long. As the Trojans turn their attention to their next opponent their focus remains on staying present in every moment. According to McAlpine, the ups and downs of USC's opening round victory served as great reminders of how important it is to stay locked in for every minute of play in must-win games. The road doesn't get any easier for the Trojans who face a Princeton team that is currently on a 13-game winning streak and is coming off of a first round victory over Boston College.
The Women of Troy will take on the Tigers in the second round of tournament play this Friday at 1 p.m. PT in Charlottesville, Virginia. Be sure to follow @USC_WSoccer for all postseason news, in-game updates and more.
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