PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

USD  women’s soccer battled to its third consecutive match unbeaten, tying San Francisco 1-1 at home in the WCC opener on Sept. 25, 2024. The Toreros got away with a late equalizer from USD sophomore Tamia Graham. Following  the tie, the team played the Washington State Cougars on  Sept. 28, 2024, which resulted in a 1-0 loss for San Diego. 

Graham talked about the significance of tying San Francisco in the last few minutes.

“San Francisco was a quality opponent and a real test for us after winning our last two games, and we showed our relentlessness and dedication to finish out a game the way we wanted to,” Graham said. 

Graham also discussed how the team is going to carry the momentum into the next few games as the season progresses.

 “All 90 minutes were filled with absolute grit and hard work, and to come back so late in the game and not give up after going down early in the second half shows what kind of team we are and what we have to offer,” Graham said. “I’m so proud of us. Next game is against another great opponent, and we all have a great mindset going into the next match and can’t wait to bring back the win.” 

The Toreros curated several chances to tie the score during the second half of the game against San Francisco. That was until the 86th minute when USD first-year  Ella Callanan sent the ball into the box and USD senior Josefine Schlichting got a foot on it and passed the ball to Graham, allowing her to get a goal off  and tie the game. The final score was 1-1, leading the Toreros to their third straight game unbeaten.  

Schlichting shared her feelings about tying San Francisco and how she felt going into the next game. 

“The season opener is always a very emotional game, but we did a good job keeping our composure and playing our game,” Schlihting said. “The atmosphere in the stands was contagious and we had a lot of fun on the field. This was a good start in a really busy seven days with two more games to come, but we are super motivated.” 

USD womens soccer goalie, llise Medrano, saves a shot kicked by Washington State. Photo courtesy of @usdwsoccer/Instagram

It is also the first time the Toreros have scored in three straight games since August 2022 and the first time going three games unbeaten since September 2022, creating an era of victory until their recent game against Washington State. 

USD sophomore Maquena O’Callaghan talked about the emotions of starting the season off on a good note. 

“Starting our WCC play last night was exciting, but we are not satisfied with a tie,” O’Callaghan said. “Our team will continue to prove we are a top competitor within the conference. Going into our away trip this weekend against Washington State, we will bring high energy and show them we are a new team with a new high caliber.” 

Additionally, USD graduate student and defender Molly Quarry, who received  the only warning during the game against San Francisco, talked about the excitement of ending the game on a tie. 

“After a long stretch of away games, we were excited to start off our WCC campaign at home against San Francisco,” Quarry said. “Coming into the game on a winning streak, we were motivated to get a good result against them. Our performance in the game showcased some of the best soccer we’ve played all season, and it was a lot of fun to play in front of a good Torero crowd.” 

Quarry also talked about how the momentum will help the team going forward.

“As we head into this weekend’s match against Washington State, our team morale is high,” Quarry said. “We’ve been playing well and have celebrated individual achievements with Tamia Graham and Mikayla Abrenica scoring their first collegiate goals. We hope to use the lessons we’ve learned and build on these little victories as we face WSU.” 

San Diego played Washington State in Pullman, W.A. on Saturday night Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. They did not get the results they wanted with the final score being 1-0 for the Toreros first WCC road match of the fall season.

The Washington State Cougars secured the game-winning goal in the 42nd minute of the match, leaving the University of San Diego women’s soccer team down for the rest of the game. Despite their efforts to level the score, the Toreros were unable to mount a successful counterattack after falling behind. This narrow loss brought an end to USD’s three-game unbeaten streak, highlighting the challenges they’ve faced in securing victories in recent matches.

The defeat also marked a tough start to their WCC campaign, setting their record at 0-1-1 in conference play. More notably, the team is still searching for their first WCC win since October 15, 2021.

USD womens soccer player Natalie Yoo goes up against the Washington State Cougars. Photo courtesy of @usdwsoccer/Instagram