USD goalkeeper Brittany Cameron watched her teammates defend and remain focused at Torero Stadium last night.
The USD women's soccer team gave defending NCAA champion USC a challenge. The Toreros kept the No. 1-ranked Trojans scoreless for 93 minutes.
But all came crashing down in a matter of seconds, resulting in a 1-0 loss for USD before more than 1,000 fans in the season opener for both teams.
Cameron watched a ball float over her head and bounce into the goal three minutes into overtime.
After a solid defending effort for most of the match, a miscue in the back ultimately cost USD the game.
Cameron and defender Erika Wesley couldn't decide who was supposed to clear a filtered pass from USC's Ashli Sandoval near the left corner of the penalty area.
Wesley and Cameron bumped into each other, leaving the ball free.
Trojans midfielder Marihelen Tomer took advantage, sending the loose ball arching over Cameron into the net from about 22 yards out.
“I thought Erika was going to kick it,” Cameron said of the play. “It was just a little bit of miscommunication. It (stinks) that it had to be at that exact moment. Hats off to 'SC for taking advantage of it. We fought hard. We'd love to get the game back. We tried the hardest we could.”
Toreros coach Ada Greenwood thought Wesley was pushed right before the play.
“She got pushed in the back,” Greenwood said. “That was for sure. I don't put it all on (Erika). We should have dealt with that before she got pushed. But that's part of the game. We're a good team trying to be a great team.”
USD outshot the Trojans 9-8 and had a handful of opportunities to score in the first half. But perhaps its best chance came in the 84th minute. Forward Allison Wolters sent a long floater near the left post, where Ellisa Magracia got a header on the ball.
Magracia's header was slapped over the crossbar inches before it crossed the line.
“We had a lot of chances,” Greenwood said. “They had a lot of chances as well. But the miscommunication was costly. We need to have better quality in the final moments. We just didn't have that.”
Notes
Natalie Garcia,
a San Pasqual High grad, started at defender for the Toreros. She made her presence felt, stealing the ball several times from USC's Sandoval. Garcia wasn't the only San Diego native who saw her first college soccer action.
Stephanie Ochs (Patrick Henry) and Magracia (Bonita Vista) subbed in and out of the match.
Ivan Orozco: (760) 752-6758; ivan.orozco@tlnews.net
