No. 4 USC women’s soccer kicked off its first Big Ten Tournament game Monday morning in St. Paul, Minnesota, earning a dramatic 1-0 victory over No. 10 Ohio State. Despite holding a commanding 18-to-3 shots advantage over the Buckeyes (12-1-3, 7-1-2 Big Ten), including seven shots on goal, the Trojans (15-1-2, 10-0 -1) ‘I couldn’t find the back of the net in 90 minutes of regulation and the match had to go into extra time.

But when the game restarted, senior midfielder Maria Alagoa took an indirect shot that reached senior forward Maile Hayes, who deflected it with her heel and eventually found freshman forward Jaiden Anderson. After 1:26 of extra time, Anderson took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a last-minute goal that secured the win and booked the Trojans’ ticket to the semifinals.

It was Anderson’s second goal of the season and a monumental moment for Head Coach Jane Alukonis and the Trojans.

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Graduate goaltender Laurence Gladu wasn’t bothered by the Buckeyes’ offense much throughout the game. She only had to make one save during the game, earning her 10th shutout of the year.

This win continues USC’s impressive run in its first season competing in the Big Ten, remaining undefeated in conference play. The Trojans now still have a chance to win both the regular and postseason Big Ten titles – which would be an incredibly impressive feat for Alukonis’ squad.

USC now advances to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, where it will face No. 5 Rutgers (11-3-4, 6-2-3). Rutgers also had a dramatic overtime win to advance to the semifinals, with sophomore forward Ashley Baran scoring a golden goal 4:27 minutes into the first overtime against No. 16 Michigan State (12-2-5, 7 -1-3).

Whoever comes out on top in the battle between the Trojans and Scarlet Knights will advance to the Big Ten Championship and face the winner of No. 9 UCLA (14-3-3, 8-1-2) and Washington (10-2). 5-3, 7-4).

In a head-to-head comparison, USC appears to have better overall stats heading into the game, with stronger offensive efficiency and more control in set-piece situations. The statistics show that USC has a more powerful offense than Rutgers, with 1.78 goals per game compared to the Scarlet Knights’ 1.44.

Furthermore, USC’s shot on target percentage of 0.131 surpasses Rutgers’s of 0.105, indicating a more clinical finishing in the final third.

Gladu has made eight fewer saves than Rutgers senior goalkeeper Angele Amaya, indicating a stronger overall defense with fewer shots per game. Both teams have created 27 chances and show similar efficiency in creating high-quality goal scoring opportunities.

This battle will be the first time in twenty years that the two teams will face each other. Their final game on September 5, 2004 was the only time the Trojans and Scarlet Knights faced each other in women’s soccer history, with USC winning 3-2. U.S. women’s national team legend Carli Lloyd featured in the game for Rutgers, scoring twice in the Scarlet Knights’ narrow defeat.

The stage is set for an exciting semifinal between USC and Rutgers on Thursday at noon local time at Citypark Field in St. Louis.