USC Women's Soccer Cruises Past Sac State in NCAA Opening Round

Sunday, November 17

Carson, Calif.

2:00 p.m.

USC

16-1-3, 10-0-1

Sacramento State

5-7-9, 3-2-3

Sacramento St.

USC

Photo by: Katie Chin

USC Women's Soccer Cruises Past Sac State in NCAA Opening Round

November 17, 2024 | Women's Soccer

Box Score Highlights NCAA Bracket Final Book (PDF)

CARSON, Calif. – The No. 1-seeded USC women's soccer team cruised past Sacramento State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon, taking down the Hornets 5-0 behind five different goal-scorers.

The opening round five-goal victory was the largest postseason margin of victory for USC since 2021. The Trojans will host No. 8-seeded St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. for the second round of the tournament.

USC wasted no time getting on the board, with Maria Alagoa drawing a penalty in the area and Brooklyn Courtnall converting the PK in the fourth minute. It would be another free kick in the 13^th minute, this time from just outside the penalty area, that gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead, with Helena Sampaio curling one in from 22 yards out. Simone Jackson made it 3-0 less than four minutes later, beating a defender and firing one across goal and inside the far right post.

Even with a 3-0 lead coming out of the break, the Trojans kept their foot on the gas as Alagoa finishing a beautiful sequence from Kayla Colbert and Maile Hayes with a back heel flick in the box less than five minutes into the second period. The final goal came in the 90^th minute when Florianne Jourde struck for her first goal of the season.

It was the 11^th shutout of the year for the USC defense as the Trojans held the visitors to just four shots in the game. Laurence Gladu made the lone save required of her in the second half to keep the clean sheet.

USC held 71% of the possession in the game and outshot the Hornets 20-4. Nine Trojan substitutes saw action in the postseason contest. Courtnall's goal was the first of the senior's career.

SCORING
4' – USC: Brooklyn Courtnall (PK) – Maria Alagoa was taken down in the penalty area and Courtnall converted the PK, beating the keeper inside the left post.

13' – USC: Helena Sampaio (unassisted) – The Trojans were awarded a free kick from outside the area after Maile Hayes drew the foul and Sampaio curved one around the wall an inside the right post.

16' – USC: Simone Jackson (assisted by Aaliyah Farmer) – Farmer played a ball forward to Jackson near the left side of the area and Jackson took a touch to her left and fired a left-footed shot across goal and inside the right post.

50' – USC: Maria Alagoa (assisted by Maile Hayes, Kayla Colbert) – Colbert played it forward into the left side of the area for Hayes, and Hayes took a touch near the end line and fired a ball back to the front of goal, where Alagoa let it go between her legs and flicked it in with her right heel near the top of the box.

90' – USC: Florianne Jourde (assisted by Jaiden Anderson, Ines Derrien) – Derrien made a run to the top of the area and flicked a ball to her left for Anderson, who in turn flicked it on to a wide open Jourde for a left-footed finish inside the right post.

UP NEXT
The Trojans will play host to both the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Great Park in Irvine next week. USC will face St. Louis on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. Wisconsin will also play Virginia at Great Park on Friday at 2 p.m., with the winners of both games facing off in the third round on Sunday (also at Great Park). Ticket and game day information will be released later this week.