LOS ANGELES, CA --- The California Baptist women's soccer program continued its season on Sunday evening with a major test against the number five-ranked USC. The Trojans celebrated their new stadium with a 4-0 win over the Lancers, dropping CBU to 1-1 on the young year.
"I'm really proud of the heart and fight our team played with tonight," remarked Head Coach Kristen St. Clair. "It's not easy playing on the road against the number five-ranked team in the country and the Big Ten champion on full rest, which was a challenge our young group took head-on. Iron sharpens iron, and the only way to prepare ourselves for the pressure that comes from being the WAC Champion a season ago is to play the best teams in the country".
The first twenty minutes of the match were reminiscent of the prior year's game as the squads tested each other before fully settling into their own rhythms. However, momentum shifted in favor of USC in the 23rd minute after the Trojans were awarded a penalty kick for a handball in the box by CBU. The home squad capitalized on the opportunity despite Mikayla O'Brien getting a hand on the ball sent into the lower left corner. USC would score again just four minutes later to take a two-goal lead into halftime.
California Baptist came out more offensively during the second set of 45 minutes, but could not find the back of the net. The Trojans managed to put away two more goals throughout the half to secure the 4-0 win and start their season undefeated. Despite USC knocking 17 total shots, the home team only put seven on frame compared to CBU's three on target.
"The moments that led to goals are all very fixable. Overall, I thought we had some really good moments on both sides of the ball. Now, as we prepare for our upcoming road games, we need to get healthy and rest up. We'll begin preparing for our next opponent immediately," finished St. Clair.
The Lancers will be back in action on Thursday evening as they head to UC Santa Barbara for a weekday match against the Gauchos, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
