No. 17 USC Lacrosse Earns Berth to the Pac-12 Championship After Silencing the Arizona State Offense

BERKELEY, Calif. - The 17th-ranked USC Lacrosse squad (15-3, 9-1 Pac-12) earned a spot in the Pac-12 Championship after suppressing the Arizona State offense in the 9-5 victory May 4 at the California Memorial Stadium. 
 
KEY PLAYERS:

• In a lower-scoring affair, the Trojans hosted four players with multiple goals, as redshirt sophomore Isabelle Vitale, junior Shelby Tilton, senior Ella Heaney and graduate student Katie Ramsay all had two goals each. Vitale and Heaney were the lone two to enter the three-point territory, as they each added one assist as well. 
• On the defensive side, USC made a statement as the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, graduate transfer Emma Wightman showcased how she earned her title, as she posted four caused turnovers and two groundballs. Alongside her was Pac-12 All-Conference First Team member sophomore Catherine Lord, who grabbed three caused turnovers and picked up five groundballs. 
• In the circle, both the Women of Troy and ASU had nine total draw controls. Ramsay provided seven of those nine throughout the game. 
• Junior Goalkeeper Kait Devir added the victory to her record, posting five saves and allowing five goals. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Trojans came out hot in the first quarter, as USC's Tilton found room between the pipes to take advantage at the 10:43 mark. Senior Ella Heaney would continue to propel the offense as she secured a goal 50 seconds later. While the offense was scoring, the defense was doing their thing, as they forced six turnovers in the first. That stat kept USC in possession, as it grabbed one more from five-year veteran Katie Ramsay. ASU, even after turning the ball over six times, still was able to convert one goal, as the Women of Troy went into the first break up 3-1. 
• In the second, the defense continued to provide support for both squads. Both teams were only able to capitalize on one goal apiece before halftime. Devir for USC was able to rack up four saves before the break, while ASU's Katie Vahle was able to secure ten. Both goalies stood firm as the net defenders, as the offenses mustered just one goal each to make it 4-2 at the half. 
• The third was much like the second, but USC would have the last laugh, as a buzzer-beater allowed the Trojans to outscore the Sun Devils 2-1 in the quarter. Vitale would initially add to the Trojans' lead at 8:03 in the third, which would be the only hint of action before the final two minutes of the quarter. ASU struck at 1:27, almost 15 minutes from their last goal, as it previously scored at 1:20 in the second. With time fading, it would seem that the teams would go into the fourth with USC leading 5-3, but a last-minute free-position shot would change that. Ramsay got her second opportunity to make an impact, as she hit the back of the net with three seconds remaining in the third. As Ramsay's second goal went through, it officially gave her six career goals in the Pac-12 Tournament through her five years of play. 
• USC once again found its rhythm in the fourth, as it matched the goal total from the first quarter with three. Vitale and junior Maggie Brown found the netting within minutes of each other as they scored right before the single-digit mark, with goals at 11:23 and 10:08. Heaney would finish off the scoring for USC as she posted one more insurance goal at 3:48 in the fourth. The Sun Devils would score right before the buzzer, but it wouldn't mean anything, as the Trojans walked away with a 9-5 victory. 

 
UP NEXT:
USC will meet the winner of No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament Finals at noon Saturday (May 6) in Berkeley, Calif., at the California Memorial Stadium. 
 
GAME NOTES:

• This is USC's first win in the Pac-12 Tournament since 2019 when they bested Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament Finals (W, 12-3). 
• The Trojans move to 2-1 all-time versus ASU in the Pac-12 Tournament, as they avenged last season's loss to the Sun Devils (L, 12-13). USC's first victory over ASU came in 2018 in its inaugural Pac-12 Tournament matchup (W, 19-7).
• The Women of Troy move to 4-3 all-time in the Pac-12 Tournament and are 13-11 all-time in postseason play. 
• USC surrendered five goals, which is one lower then the previous two outings against ASU (Mar. 17 W, 17-6; Apr. 28 W, 11-6). 
• The Trojans improve to 111-18 all-time versus unranked opponents. 
• Nine goals ties USC's lowest goal total in a win this season (Mar. 12 W, 9-8).