It was Stony Brook’s third impromptu game to open the season — a quirk of this 2021 campaign, one that promises to be unlike any other due to ongoing complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But even though Stony Brook’s first three games were against opponents the No. 5 team in the nation wasn’t even supposed to play this spring, the Seawolves have responded with tenacity.
After a stumble against No. 1 North Carolina in a game that Stony Brook had just about two days to prepare for, Stony Brook thumped Boston University on Sunday and handed No. 14 USC a big loss on Tuesday afternoon at LaValle Stadium.
Taryn Ohlmiller scored six goals, Ally Kennedy scored three goals and Kaeli Huff and Jaden Hampel each scored twice as the Seawolves improved to 2-1 with a 15-3 victory.
USC (1-1) came out in a man-to-man defense, an unexpected strategy. Stony Brook coach Joe Spallina said he was expecting a zone, but his team responded to build a 10-2 advantage by halftime.
“I think we moved the ball a lot quicker today,” Ohlmiller said in a postgame Zoom call.
Stony Brook won 11 of 20 draws but 10 of 13 in the first half. Charlotte Verhulst matched up against Maddie McDaniel, a draw ace who transferred in from James Madison. McDaniel snatched 13 draw controls in her USC debut against San Diego State, but Verhulst gave her fits, prompting USC to make a change in the circle in the first half.
“Charlotte’s really starting to not just take the draw, but think the draw,” Spallina said. “You can’t just take it. You have to think it.”
Kennedy was also a force off the circle, winning eight draws. “You’ve got 30 on the circle, and she just does 30 things,” Spallina said of Kennedy, who wears No. 30.
USC could never really get its offense going. According to the broadcast on Lax Sports Network, the Women of Troy arrived for the game at 5 p.m. Eastern Monday, less than 24 hours before first draw.
USC has a chance to right the ship on Friday against No. 16 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Stony Brook heads to the Carrier Dome to play No. 2 Syracuse on Saturday.