Arizona vs. USC // Fri., Sep 23 // 3:00 p.m. MST // Los Angeles, Calif. //
McAlister Field // Pac-12 Networks // Live Stats // Twitter
ARIZONA LINKS
Stats // Roster // Game Notes // Schedule
USC LINKS
Stats // Roster // Schedule
Oklahoma Recap
Arizona fell to Oklahoma last Friday, as the Sooners managed to come back from a halftime deficit to defeat the Wildcats. Kennedy Kieneker had a goal in the 30', assisted by Jaden DeGracie (career 22nd). Oklahoma managed to get goals from Rachel Ressler and Liz Keester in the 55' and the 81' to take the win, despite the fact that Arizona outshot them 11-9.
History with USC
USC historically has a successful record against the Wildcats, going 15-5-2 over the last 22 years. Their last match ended with a Trojan victory, as they defeated Arizona 3-1 on Oct. 11, 2015.
Stoian Returns
Junior Gabi Stoian returns to the pitch this fall, bringing her offensive talent back to the team. In her three seasons with the Wildcats, Stoian has 21 goals (fourth all-time) and 60 points (third all-time). Those goals include six game-winning goals (fifth all-time). This season she already has three assists and two goals, putting her at seven points.
Assists from DeGracie-Bailey
Senior midfielder Jaden DeGracie-Bailey is now the school record holder in all-time assists. After her assist against Oklahoma this season, she now has 22 assists overall, seven of which came from the 2015 season. As one of the Wildcats that can execute the flip throw-in, she can create dangerous opportunities in the box for Arizona.
1. Jaden DeGracie-Bailey 22 13-
2. Mallory Miller 19 02-05
3. Gabi Stoian 18 14-
4. Nikki Jones 14 95-98
5. Candice Wilks 11 01-04
Jasmine Namdar 10 06-09
Between the Posts
Sophomore Lainey Burdett has played in five games for the Wildcats this season and she has four shutouts with a GA/AVG of 0.40 and a save percentage of 80%. Burdett participated in 16 games in the 2015 season and earned over 1,250 minutes of action. She notched 52 saves (.754, 1.22 GAA) and shutout the opponent three times. Her 1.22 GAA is the seventh-best mark for one season in Arizona history.
Eyes on the Prize
In Coach Amato's inaugural season with the Wildcats back in 2013, he led the team to its first winning record since 2005. He has since improved on that, leading the 2015 squad to a 14-6-2 record (second best all-time) and has made two runs into the NCAA Tournament, last season's into the Round of 16.
Continuing a Legacy
With 20 players from last season's record-breaking squad, Arizona has a lot of talent remaining in the program. This senior class has 35 wins as of today, only five shy of the highest mark for a senior class. The Wildcats will look to their veterans to lead them to another successful season in 2016.
Ranking Trends
In the NSCAA preseason poll, the Wildcats were ranked 20th after finishing their 2015 season at No. 19. They fell outside of the rankings after their defeat at Pepperdine, and have yet to check back in. Additionally, in the coaches' poll from the Pac-12 Conference, the Cats were picked to finish fifth in the conference. In the TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings, Arizona checked-in at 18th in preseason and have since settled at 23rd.
#ExperienceIt
Attendance at Mulcahy Stadium has been growing rapidly over the last several years with last year's average attendance finally settling at 917. The Wildcats drew a crowd of over 750 in their exhibition match and had over 650 in their last match against Oklahoma.
Newcomer Talent
Arizona is bringing in 12 newcomers in this season. This includes 11 incoming freshmen, and one junior transfer. The team will look to these players to step-up and provide energy and depth to their already strong and proven roster.
