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New mindset.
USC ended its season with a pair of heartbreakers — first, a one-goal loss to Arizona State in the Pac-12 semifinals and then a two-goal loss to Virginia in the NCAA tournament. But the Women of Troy, who return four of their top five scorers and their starting goalie, aren’t starting 2023 with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Instead, the experienced group is letting a tight-knit culture off the field translate to success between the lines. The opening-day whistle hasn’t blown, but the team is already playing like it doesn’t want the season to end in practice.
“It’s an overall mindset of being OK with wanting to be great and not settling for being above average,” Munday said. “It’s about taking that pride and ownership of wanting to put it all out there. That level took a big jump in terms of our level of competition at practice.”
Veteran offense returns.
On paper, nowhere will USC’s chemistry be more evident than on the offensive side of the ball. USC graduated Kelsey Huff, who led the team in goals and was second in points. But the rest of last year’s core is back, including points leader Vitale. She became more versatile this fall, spending time on the left side of the crease.
Munday calls Ella Heaney (34 G, 19 A) a “silent assassin” and expects more from her in the spring. She’s fit and more vocal. Shelby Tilton (35 G, 6 A) and Claudia Shevitz (30 G, 8 A), who was second on the team with 67 draws, round out the top returners. Shevitz played more of an attacker role last year, but Munday sees her as a true two-way midfielder in 2023.
“It gives her more freedom to play the way she loves, to spark transition and be aggressive,” Munday said.
Mixing old and new on defense.
The Women of Troy have the most turnover on the defensive end. But Dooley and Danielle Carson (18 CT, 40 GB) provide consistency. Dooley’s 5-8 frame makes her a threat for 50-50 balls on the ground and in the air.
“She is unbelievable in the way she reads the ball and can intercept,” Munday said.
Meanwhile, Carson is a workhouse whose value is often most noticeable when most eyes are off her.
“If the defense had light numbers, she’d go in on scout team as opposed to resting to help the offense get better,” Munday said.
But on the field, Munday calls her an anchor in the crease. Speaking of anchors, Devir is set to re-take her post in net. Her team-first mentality fits in perfectly with the zone defense USC employs, which favors the unit over the individual.
Munday likes the depth chart despite graduations to Brennan and Wagner. Catherine Lord, who led the team with 75 draws, will be a staple. Wightman is also making a case.
“The way she holds someone in 1-v-1 in space with her strength and footwork was impressive,” Munday said.
Sophomores Alexis Niblock and Lila Murray could also crack the lineup.
ENEMY LINES
WHAT RIVALS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TIGERS
“I’m sure that they’re going to be super scrappy and competitive. They put together a really nice rally in the second half of last season. I think they’re going to make some noise.”
15%
As USC heads into 2023, it’ll have to replace Kelsey Huff’s production from last year. Huff took 15% of the team’s shots, and perhaps more importantly, had the second-highest individual player efficiency on the team. Keep an eye out for Maggie Brown this year; she was the only player on the team with a higher efficiency rating than Huff. In limited playing time, she managed an 80th-percentile assist rate, a 96th-percentile ball security rating AND she shot 46% while having only 10 shots saved all season. Breakout candidate right there.
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