Aug. 31, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Senior forward Lauren Bohaboy (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita) scored her team-leading third goal of the season, but USC came back with two goals in the second half to rally past the No. 11/10 University of Notre Dame women’s soccer team, 2-1 on Sunday afternoon before 1,755 fans on the final day of the Notre Dame Invitational at Alumni Stadium.
Notre Dame finished with an 18-10 edge in total shots over USC, while shots on goal were even at 5-5. The Fighting Irish also held a 4-1 advantage on corner kicks.
After Notre Dame controlled the run of play early in the match, USC (3-0-1) tied the contest at 1-1 in the 65th minute, as Jamie Fink sent a pass from the middle of the attacking third out wide left for Savannah Levin. Levin angled into the box and scored with a rising left-footed shot on the short side high into the upper left corner near the left post.
The Trojans then took the lead in the 72nd minute, as Tamara Mejia shook free from her defender on the right side of the box and sent a low cross through traffic. Reilly Parker crashed hard to the net on the back side and poked in a close-range shot inside the left post to put USC in front 2-1.
Notre Dame (2-2-0) appeared to square the match in the 74th minute, as freshman midfielder Taylor Klawunder (Coto de Caza, Calif./Santa Margarita) poked in a loose ball from the edge of the six-yard box. However, a foul was called on USC before the goal was scored and, instead of playing the advantage, the Irish were awarded a penalty kick. Junior midfielder Glory Williams (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands) stepped up to take the spot kick, but the USC goalkeeper Caroline Stanley made the save and Notre Dame sophomore Kaleigh Olmsted (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) sent the rebound opportunity over the crossbar.
The hosts continued to pour on the pressure moments later, as a corner kick off the foot of Notre Dame freshman defender Sabrina Flores (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) was re-directed by senior defender/tri-captain Sammy Scofield (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) near the back post. A USC defender swept the line just before the ball found its way into the net, again preventing the Notre Dame equalizer.
The Fighting Irish struck first in the match when Bohaboy scored in the 19th minute, taking a pass from junior midfielder/tri-captain Cari Roccaro (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) on the right side of the penalty area and driving a low shot from 16 yards out inside the far left post for a 1-0 Notre Dame lead. Bohaboy’s strike was the sixth Fighting Irish shot attempt in the first 20 minutes of the match, and her eighth goal in the past 11 Notre Dame contests in the month of August dating back to 2012.
Olmsted found open space down the left side in the 44th minute, earning a free kick for the Fighting Irish after a tackle deep in Trojan territory. A free kick from junior defender Brittany Von Rueden (Mequon, Wis.) ricocheted to the top of the box, where a left-footed try from Olmsted found its way to a waiting Stanley.
Notre Dame nearly broke through once more in the 56th minute, after a pass from senior forward Karin Simonian (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke) in to junior Anna Maria Gilbertson (Davis, Calif./Davis) was sent out of play by the USC defense to force a corner kick. Flores dropped an arching corner into the box that narrowly missed a cluster of Fighting Irish attackers, escaping over the end line to stop the threat.
Freshman goalkeeper Lexi Nicholas (Pleasanton, Calif./Amador Valley) was a last-minute replacement in goal and made three saves in her college debut, while Stanley had four stops (and USC also was credited with a team save) in the Trojans’ net.
The Fighting Irish next will take the pitch at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) on Friday when they face No. 15/22 Santa Clara at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
–ND–
USC 2, Notre Dame 1
Aug. 31, 2014
Notre Dame Invitational – Game 4
Notre Dame, Ind. (Alumni Stadium)
USC 0 2 — 2
Notre Dame 1 0 — 1
ND 1. Lauren Bohaboy 3 (Cari Roccaro) 18:06. USC 1. Savannah Levine 1 (Jamie Fink) 64:15. USC 2. Reilly Parker 2 (Tamara Mejia) 71:41.
Total Shots:USC 10 (2-8), ND 18 (11-7)
Shots on Goal: USC 5 (0-5), ND 6 (4-2)
Saves: USC 5 (Caroline Stanley 4 in 90:00, TEAM 1), ND 3 (Lexi Nicholas 3 in 90:00)
Corner Kicks: USC 1 (0-1), ND 4 (1-3)
Fouls: USC 8 (4-4), ND 9 (2-7)
Yellow Card: Brittany Von Rueden (ND, 70:52)
Offsides: USC 1, ND 2
Attendance: 1,755
Records: USC 3-0-1, ND 2-2-0
Next for ND: At Santa Clara, 10:30 p.m. (PT) Friday at Buck Shaw Stadium