USC Lacrosse Cruises to 18-7 Win Over San Diego State

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LOS ANGELES – The USC lacrosse team (1-0) opened 2022 with a resounding 18-7 victory over San Diego State (0-1) on McAlister Field on Saturday, Feb. 12. It was the seventh straight season-opening win for the Women of Troy.
 
KEY PLAYERS

  • Redshirt freshman Isabelle Vitale scored four goals—all in the first quarter—and dished out four assists for eight points in her collegiate debut. She also picked up a ground ball and caused a turnover.
  • Jr. attacker Ella Heaney recorded her seventh-career hat-trick game with four goals to go with an assist and ground ball.
  • Gr. midfielder Kelsey Huff posted her 24th-career hat trick with three goals and added a ground ball to go with one caused turnover and a draw control.
  • So. attacker Claudia Shevitz racked up an incredible 12 draw controls to tie the eighth highest single-game mark in school history and became only the fifth Trojan to reach double-figure draw controls in a contest. Shevitz also had three points with two goals and an assist along with one caused turnover.
  • Sr. midfielder Michaela McMahon scored two goals and had an assist to go with two caused turnovers.
  • Jr. midfielder Katie Ramsay picked up seven draw controls for 58 in her career and moved into eighth all-time in school history. She also scored one goal and had an assist.
  • In goal, So. Kait Devir put up nine saves and gave up just seven goals in her first collegiate start and first-career victory.
  • For San Diego State, Camdyn O’Donnell and Deanna Balsama each scored three goals apiece for hat tricks. Sam Horan had 10 saves and four ground balls but gave up 18 goals in the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Eight different Trojans scored goals as USC out-shot SDSU by a 36-19 margin. The Women of Troy also dominated the center circle for a 21-7 advantage in draw controls and had the 16-13 edge in ground balls.
  • Vitale scored her first-career goal to get the day started and finished with four goals in the first period as the Trojans took a 5-3 lead into the first break. The Aztecs got the first goal of the second quarter to come with one score, but Heaney’s back-to-back goals sparked a 5-0 USC run that would put the Trojans on top, 10-4, at the half.
  • Huff opened the second half with the first of her three goals and the Trojans ran the clock with a 10-goal lead at 15-5 on Heaney’s fourth goal of the day.
  • The Trojans held off any chances of an Aztec comeback and topped SDSU by 11 goals as Huff secured her hat trick with a goal at 12:33 in the fourth. McMahon had the final goal of the game with just under four minutes to play.

UP NEXT

  • The Trojans hit the road for battles in the southeast next week. USC visits No. 18-ranked Jacksonville on Friday (Feb. 18) and then heads into the Peach State for a Sunday (Feb. 20) meeting with Mercer in Macon, Ga. The Women of Troy are 14-17 all-time in games played in the Eastern Time Zone.

GAME NOTES

  • USC improved to 11-1 all-time against San Diego State and avenged a loss to the Aztecs suffered last season in the LA Memorial Coliseum. The 11-goal win was the Trojans’ seventh double-digit victory over SDSU.
  • The Women of Troy improved to 7-3 all-time in season openers and have won seven straight openers. USC also goes to 6-4 in home openers and is now 6-1 in home openers played at McAlister Field.
  • USC improved to 53-13 all-time at McAlister Field.

For more information on the USC women’s lacrosse team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCTrojansLax.