Football continues hot streak, advances to Big Ten semifinals

No. 4 USC women’s soccer kicked off its first Big Ten Tournament game Monday morning in St. Paul, Minnesota, and scraped out a dramatic 1-0 win over No. 10 Ohio State. Despite holding an impressive 18 to three shots advantage over the Buckeyes (12-1-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten), including seven shots on goal, the Trojans (15-1-2, 10- 0-1) I didn’t find the back of the net in 90 minutes of regulation and the match had to be extended to extra time.

But when play restarted, senior midfielder Maria Alagoa took an indirect shot that reached senior forward Maile Hayes, who deflected it with her heel and eventually found freshman Jaiden Anderson. At the 1:26 mark of overtime, Anderson converted the opportunity and scored a last-minute goal that sealed the win and booked the Trojans’ ticket to the semifinals.

It was Anderson’s second goal of the season and a monumental moment for head coach Jane Alukonis and the Trojans.

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Graduate goalkeeper Laurence Gladu wasn’t troubled much by the Buckeyes’ offense throughout the game as she had to make just one save throughout the game and earned her 10th shutout of the year.

This win continues USC’s impressive run in its first season competing in the Big Ten and remaining undefeated in conference play. The Trojans now still have a chance to win both the regular season and postseason Big Ten titles — which would be an incredibly impressive feat for Alukonis’ team.

USC now advances to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, where it will face No. 5 Rutgers (11-3-4, 6-2-3). Rutgers also had a dramatic overtime win to advance to the semifinals, with sophomore forward Ashley Baran scoring a golden goal 4:27 into the first overtime against No. 16 Michigan State (12-2-5, 7-1-3) .

Whoever comes out on top in the matchup between the Trojans and Scarlet Knights will advance to the Big Ten Championship and take on the winner of the No. 9 UCLA (14-3-3, 8-1-2) and Washington (10- 5-3, 7-4).

In a head-to-head comparison, USC appears to have better overall stats heading into the game, with stronger offensive efficiency and greater control on set pieces. The statistics show that USC has a stronger offense than Rutgers, scoring 1.78 goals per possession. match to the Scarlet Knights’ 1.44.

Additionally, USC’s shooting on goal percentage of .131 surpasses Rutgers’ at .105, indicating more clinical finishing in the final third.

Gladu has made eight fewer saves than Rutgers senior goalkeeper Angele Amaya, indicating a stronger overall defense with fewer shots per game. match. Both teams have created 27 chances, showing similar efficiency in creating high quality goalscoring opportunities.

This match will be the first time in 20 years that the two teams meet. Their last matchup on September 5, 2004 was the only time the Trojans and Scarlet Knights faced each other in women’s soccer history, with USC winning 3-2. US Women’s National Team legend Carli Lloyd appeared for Rutgers in the game, scoring twice in the Scarlet Knights’ narrow loss.

The stage is set for an exciting semifinal showdown between USC and Rutgers on Thursday at noon local time at Citypark Field in St. Louis.