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No. 13 USC Lacrosse Resumes Pac-12 Play at McAlister Field

by usctrojans.com
Apr 5, 2022

LOS ANGELES – The 13th-ranked USC lacrosse team (8-2, 4-1 Pac-12) resumes conference play as host to California (1-12, 1-6) and No. 22-ranked Stanford (8-5, 6-1) at McAlister Field this weekend. Last week, the Trojans collected a dominant non-conference road win over then 13th-ranked Michigan for their third victory over a ranked opponent this spring.

GAME #11 • Friday, April 8 • 4 p.m. PT
No. 13 USC (8-2, 4-1) vs. California (1-12, 1-6)
McAlister Field • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES HISTORY: USC leads, 13-1 (.929) • STREAK: W13
LAST MEETING: W 19-9 (Mar. 18, 2022 • Berkeley, Calif.)
TV/LIVE STREAM: USC Live Stream
OPPONENT WEB: CalBears.com

GAME #12 • Sunday, April 10 • 1 p.m. PT
No. 13 USC (8-2, 4-1) vs. No. 22 Stanford (8-5, 6-1)
McAlister Field • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES HISTORY: Tied, 8-8 (.500) • STREAK: L2
LAST MEETING: L 14-15OT (Mar. 20, 2022 • Stanford, Calif.)
TV/LIVE STREAM: USC Live Stream
OPPONENT WEB: GoStanford.com

CROSSExamination

  • USC is ranked 13th in the ILWomen/IWLCA Top 25 poll this week; its highest ranking of 2022 and the highest since starting at 13th in the 2021 preseason poll.
  • The Trojans are 79-22 (.782) when they are ranked in the poll.
  • The Women of Troy are 55-14 all-time at McAlister Field.
  • USC is 26-34 all-time against ranked foes with three of those wins this spring (at No. 18 Jacksonville, vs. No. 23 Colorado, at No. 13 Michigan).
  • The Trojans have scored at least 11 goals in every game this season and lead the Pac-12 in scoring offense at 15.50 goals per game.
  • Kelsey Huff is the reigning Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year. The league's Midfielder of the Year has come from USC all three times it has been selected. Kerrigan Miller was chosen in 2018 and 2019.
  • So. midfielder Madison Waters was the Pac-12's Freshman of the Year in 2021.
  • 10th-year head coach Lindsey Munday is 118-51 all-time (.698) and was the Pac-12's Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading USC to the league title.

USC can extend a 13-game win streak against Cal on Friday but will have revenge on the mind when the Cardinal visits on Sunday afternoon. Stanford took a narrow 15-14 overtime win on the Farm last month; the seventh time in the last eight meetings between the teams to come down to a single goal.
 
Graduate midfielder Kelsey Huff (42g, 4.20 gpg) leads the league and is fifth nationally in scoring. She also tops all Pac-12 players in shots (7.30 spg) and shots on goal (5.80 sogpg). Huff's 46 points rank fourth in the Pac-12, but redshirt freshman attacker Isabelle Vitale (21g, 18a) is right on her heels at sixth with 39 points. Junior attacker Ella Heaney (15g, 10a), sophomore attacker Shelby Tilton (21g, 4a) and sophomore attacker Claudia Shevitz (12g, 5a) are all into double-digit goals this spring. Shevitz ranks second in the Pac-12 in draw controls (5.22 dcpg).
 
On defense, USC leans on graduate Lizzy Wagner (19gb, 11ct)—one of three captains with Huff and senior midfielder Katie Ramsay—and senior Kaleigh Brennan (24gb, 14ct). Ramsay has secured 35 draw controls and scored six goals this season. Two stellar juniors help anchor the line. Olivia Dooley leads the Pac-12 and ranks fourth nationally in caused turnovers (2.50 ctpg) and has collected 22 ground balls. Danielle Carson has 14 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. In goal, junior Kait Devir has produced 67 saves with 19 ground balls.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Trojans went into Ann Arbor and took down 13th-ranked Michigan, 14-10, in 40-degree weather and under heavy cloud cover. Shelby Tilton scored the first two USC goals, but the Trojan defense stepped up to hold the Wolverines scoreless for more than 19 minutes through the second and third quarters as USC outscored U-M, 8-2, to build up an 11-6 lead heading into the fourth. Kelsey Huff posted her eighth hat trick of the season and finished with four goals while Olivia Dooley caused four turnovers and picked up four ground balls. Maddie Dora picked up where she left off and racked up her second of back-to-back hat tricks to help power the USC offense.
 
TEWAARATON WATCH: Midfielder Kelsey Huff was named to the Tewaaraton Award's Preseason Watch List. She was previously on the 2019 Watch List as a midseason addition. The Trojans have had several semifinalists for the award including Michaela Michael (2016-17) and Courtney Tarleton.
 
PRESEASON PICK: Graduate defender Lizzy Wagner was tabbed as ILWomen's preseason choice for the Pac-12's Defensive Player of the Year. As a captain and one of the Trojans' top defenders, Wagner entered the program's top 10 for career ground balls (7th, 95gb) and is ninth in caused turnovers (51).
 

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