LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The No. 3-seeded USC women's soccer team withstood the pressure heaped upon it by visiting Eastern Washington today, surrendering an early goal to the Eagles but persevering with a second-half equalizer and then the sudden-victory winner off the foot of Erika Okuma just 18 seconds into the second OT frame for a 2-1 win. The gutsy victory at McAlister Field sends the defending national champs on to the NCAA Second Round next week, where the 15-3-1 Trojans will face Baylor in College Station, Texas.

"First and foremost I have to give a lot of credit to Eastern Washington. We knew they would be a lot more comfortable coming in here to play," USC head coach Keidane McAlpine said. "We knew that they were better and improved. We knew they had a good group of their team that returned. And they showed their class today. They showed why they won their league and are in the national tournament. Honestly I thought for a large part of the game they were better than us. As far as our performance, we've been able to find ways to come back and win games. Our competitive spirit is very good, and we found a way to win on a day that wasn't our best performance. But this team has some resolve and it showed today. Kaylie (Collins) kept us in it in the first half and between Alex (Anthony) and (Erika) Okuma we found a way to win it in the end."

With Eastern Washington visiting the Trojans for the second straight season in the NCAA First Round, the Eagles made themselves right at home in opening up the action with a goal in the sixth minute. EWU's Chloe Washington was there to clean up a save from USC goalkeeper Kaylie Collins, slotting the rebound and sending the Eagles ahead 1-0 early. As the first half unfurled, both defenses proved up to the test and that 1-0 margin would hold up until halftime. 

In the second half, the Trojan defense would have to put a stop to an early counterattack from the Eagles, with Collins coming up with a save to squash a hopeful Eagle opportunity. Immediately after, the Trojans mounted an attack of their own. Ally Prisock would send the ball up for Hailey Hite, who slipped the ball into the box for Alex Anthony, and the senior made the most of her look. Anthony hammered home the equalizer, and USC had the game even at 1-1 in the 51st minute of play. From that point, USC seemed to get back in a groove, dominating possession and mustering up an onslaught of corner kicks thanks to hard work up top from Leah Pruitt, Savannah DeMelo and more. In the 73rd, DeMelo let loose a powerful shot that clanged the near post, just missing a go-ahead opportunity for the Trojans. As time ticked down in regulation, that 1-1 scoreline stayed intact, bringing up overtime for the first time this year at McAlister Field.

USC had a few good chances in the first 10-minute stretch, but the Trojans were just off the mark and the first overtime would come to a close. USC regrouped in the short break in between OT frames, and pounced right out of the gates. Deep in Eagle territory, Ashleigh Plumptre sailed in a cross that the EWU keeper knocked away, but the ball fell within reach of Erika Okuma. The junior made the most of the opportunity and fizzed in the winner for the Trojan cause to send USC on tot he next round with the 2-1 overtime victory.

[3] USC 2, Eastern Washington 1 (OT2)
Nov. 11, 2017 | Los Angeles, Calif. (McAlister Field)
USC  0 - 1 — 0 - 1 = 2
EWU  1 - 0 — 0 - 0 = 1

SCORING:
5:57 — EWU: Chloe Williams (unassisted)
50:14 — USC: Alex Anthony (Hailey Hite)
100:18 — USC: Erika Okuma (Ashleigh Plumptre)

SAVES: Kaylie Collins (USC) 7, Emily Busselman (EWU) 8.

SHOTS: USC 32, EWU 12

CORNER KICKS: USC 15, EWU 3