No. 9 Stanford women’s soccer (12-5-1, 6-3-1 Pac-12) fell to No. 10 USC (13-2-2, 8-0-2 Pac-12) on Sunday in a 3-2 overtime loss on the road. Stanford will return to campus having lost both of its Southern California games this weekend. 

The start of the game looked bright for the Cardinal as they went up 2-0 against the Trojans. Two goals, one in the 33rd minute and another in the 45th, gave Stanford a comfortable lead going into the second half. The first goal was awarded to the team as junior midfielder Maya Doms forced an own goal after a costly mistake from USC. The second goal came from none other than senior defensive star Naomi Girma. Girma beat the clock as she rocketed in a shot with five seconds to spare. 

The momentum appeared to be on Stanford’s side as it charged into the second half. However, USC was not done just yet. In the 53rd minute, freshman forward Simone Jackson made her mark on the game, putting the Trojans back in the match with an early second-half goal. 

Moments later, in the 55th minute, junior midfielder Croix Bethune put another one away for the Trojans. The goal marked her 12th of the season. Less than 10 minutes after the start of the half, USC was back level with Stanford. 

The rest of the second half was a back-and-forth battle between the sides, leaving the game 2-2 after regular time. USC would go on to score in the 93rd minute during the first overtime period, handing the Cardinal their second consecutive loss and third in conference play this season.

Up next for the Cardinal is their final Pac-12 match of the regular season. Stanford will take on Bay Area rival Cal at 3:30 p.m. PT on Saturday.