University Southern California Trojans
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2018 Women's Soccer Schedule Announced
June 20, 2018 | Women's Soccer, Features
LOS ANGELES – The 2018 USC women's soccer schedule was announced today as the Trojans look to make a fifth straight NCAA Tournament run under Head Coach Keidane McAlpine.
USC will open play on August 16 at UC Irvine and close the regular season at home against UCLA on November 2. The slate, which is chock-full of Top 25 opponents, features 10 home games and nine road contests, as well as an exhibition at UC Davis on August 11.
"I am very excited about the schedule we have put together for this season," said McAlpine, who has guided the team to 61 wins in his first four seasons at the helm. "We have a very tough non-conference slate, which includes a trip to Florida that should give us some great early-season tests, that I think will have us prepared for what is always a difficult Pac-12 schedule. We play in one of the toughest leagues in the country, so it's important that we come ready to play every time out, and if we do that I know we'll be in a good position heading into the postseason."
Here's a breakdown of the 2018 schedule…
HOME SLATE
The Trojans play their first home game on August 24 against Cal Poly. USC also hosts Missouri (Sept. 7), San Diego (Sept. 9) and Long Beach State (Sept. 14) in non-conference play.
USC opens Pac-12 play at home on September 22 against Washington. The Trojans also host Pac-12 foes Arizona (Oct. 4), Arizona State (Oct. 7), Oregon State (Oct. 18), Oregon (Oct. 21) and UCLA (Nov. 2)
ROAD SLATE
USC plays four of its first five games of the year on the road and five of its first six if you count the August 11 exhibition at UC Davis. The Trojans play local road games at UC Irvine (Aug. 16) and Pepperdine (Aug. 26), before embarking on a big road trip to Florida State (Aug. 31) and Florida (Sept. 2).
After a four-game homestand, USC once again hits the road during Pac-12 play, heading to the Bay Area to face California (Sept. 27) and defending national champs Stanford (Sept. 30). The Trojans play at Washington State on October 13 before wrapping up their regular-season road slate at Colorado (Oct. 25) and Utah (Oct. 28).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Trojans have a truly tough schedule on tap this year, with nine of their 19 opponents having made last year's NCAA Tournament and six opponents that finished the 2017 season in the Top 25. Eight of the Trojans' opponents won at least one game in the 2017 tournament (Pepperdine, Florida State, Florida, Stanford, Arizona, Washington State, Colorado and UCLA), five made at least the Sweet 16 (Florida State, Florida, Stanford, Washington State and UCLA), three made the Elite 8 (Florida, Stanford and UCLA), and Stanford and UCLA played for the 2017 national title, with Stanford coming out on top.
USC has six ranked opponents from 2017 on the slate in Stanford (No. 1), UCLA (No. 2), Florida (No. 6), Florida State (No. 15), Pepperdine (No. 16) and Washington State (No. 19), and three opponents that finished the year receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll (California, Arizona, Colorado).
BROADCAST INFO
The Pac-12 Network also released its list of broadcasts for the 2018 season and 10 of USC's contests will be televised. The Trojans' home games against Missouri, Long Beach State, Washington, Arizona State, Oregon State and UCLA will all be shown on the network, and USC's road games against California, Stanford, Colorado and Utah will be broadcast as well.
All USC home games not on the Pac-12 Network will be streamed live via Pac-12.com, with links to the stream available on the USC women's soccer schedule page.
TROJAN OUTLOOK
USC is coming off a 15-3-2 season in which the team made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year, falling to No. 11 Baylor in the second round on penalty kicks. The Trojans finished Pac-12 play 8-2-1, tied with No. 2 UCLA for second in the conference standings, behind only No. 1 Stanford. USC is just a season removed from winning the 2016 NCAA Title and has made the NCAA Tournament all four seasons McAlpine has been the head coach, winning at least one game in the tournament each of the last three years.
USC finished last season ranked No. 13 in the nation and returns 17 players from that squad, while also bringing in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country. The Trojans have added transfers Natalie Jacobs (Notre Dame), Alea Hyatt (North Carolina), Megan McCashland (Notre Dame) and Jessie Holmes (Florida), along with a highly-touted group of incoming freshmen.
USC will open play on August 16 at UC Irvine and close the regular season at home against UCLA on November 2. The slate, which is chock-full of Top 25 opponents, features 10 home games and nine road contests, as well as an exhibition at UC Davis on August 11.
"I am very excited about the schedule we have put together for this season," said McAlpine, who has guided the team to 61 wins in his first four seasons at the helm. "We have a very tough non-conference slate, which includes a trip to Florida that should give us some great early-season tests, that I think will have us prepared for what is always a difficult Pac-12 schedule. We play in one of the toughest leagues in the country, so it's important that we come ready to play every time out, and if we do that I know we'll be in a good position heading into the postseason."
Here's a breakdown of the 2018 schedule…
HOME SLATE
The Trojans play their first home game on August 24 against Cal Poly. USC also hosts Missouri (Sept. 7), San Diego (Sept. 9) and Long Beach State (Sept. 14) in non-conference play.
USC opens Pac-12 play at home on September 22 against Washington. The Trojans also host Pac-12 foes Arizona (Oct. 4), Arizona State (Oct. 7), Oregon State (Oct. 18), Oregon (Oct. 21) and UCLA (Nov. 2)
ROAD SLATE
USC plays four of its first five games of the year on the road and five of its first six if you count the August 11 exhibition at UC Davis. The Trojans play local road games at UC Irvine (Aug. 16) and Pepperdine (Aug. 26), before embarking on a big road trip to Florida State (Aug. 31) and Florida (Sept. 2).
After a four-game homestand, USC once again hits the road during Pac-12 play, heading to the Bay Area to face California (Sept. 27) and defending national champs Stanford (Sept. 30). The Trojans play at Washington State on October 13 before wrapping up their regular-season road slate at Colorado (Oct. 25) and Utah (Oct. 28).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Trojans have a truly tough schedule on tap this year, with nine of their 19 opponents having made last year's NCAA Tournament and six opponents that finished the 2017 season in the Top 25. Eight of the Trojans' opponents won at least one game in the 2017 tournament (Pepperdine, Florida State, Florida, Stanford, Arizona, Washington State, Colorado and UCLA), five made at least the Sweet 16 (Florida State, Florida, Stanford, Washington State and UCLA), three made the Elite 8 (Florida, Stanford and UCLA), and Stanford and UCLA played for the 2017 national title, with Stanford coming out on top.
USC has six ranked opponents from 2017 on the slate in Stanford (No. 1), UCLA (No. 2), Florida (No. 6), Florida State (No. 15), Pepperdine (No. 16) and Washington State (No. 19), and three opponents that finished the year receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll (California, Arizona, Colorado).
BROADCAST INFO
The Pac-12 Network also released its list of broadcasts for the 2018 season and 10 of USC's contests will be televised. The Trojans' home games against Missouri, Long Beach State, Washington, Arizona State, Oregon State and UCLA will all be shown on the network, and USC's road games against California, Stanford, Colorado and Utah will be broadcast as well.
All USC home games not on the Pac-12 Network will be streamed live via Pac-12.com, with links to the stream available on the USC women's soccer schedule page.
TROJAN OUTLOOK
USC is coming off a 15-3-2 season in which the team made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year, falling to No. 11 Baylor in the second round on penalty kicks. The Trojans finished Pac-12 play 8-2-1, tied with No. 2 UCLA for second in the conference standings, behind only No. 1 Stanford. USC is just a season removed from winning the 2016 NCAA Title and has made the NCAA Tournament all four seasons McAlpine has been the head coach, winning at least one game in the tournament each of the last three years.
USC finished last season ranked No. 13 in the nation and returns 17 players from that squad, while also bringing in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country. The Trojans have added transfers Natalie Jacobs (Notre Dame), Alea Hyatt (North Carolina), Megan McCashland (Notre Dame) and Jessie Holmes (Florida), along with a highly-touted group of incoming freshmen.
Sunday, October 26
Sunday, October 19
Thursday, October 16
Sunday, September 28
