Michigan
0-1-0, 0-0-0
USC
1-0-0, 0-0-0
Wolverines Fall to No. 22 Trojans in 2023 Season Opener
8/17/2023 8:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
» Goalkeeper Stephanie Sparkowski made a career-high six saves.
» The Wolverines were outshot 16-2 in the match.
» Six players donned the maize and blue for the first time, highlighted by a starting nod for central forward Gabrielle Prych.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team opened the 2023 Michigan athletics year with a 1-0 loss to 22nd-ranked USC on Thursday (Aug. 17) at McAlister Field.
Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Sparkowski kept the match within reach with a career-high six saves, including two 1-on-1 breakaway stops.
Michigan (0-1) was outshot 16-2 and did not register a shot on goal. The Wolverines had several chances in the opening 20 minutes, highlighted by a pair of corners in the 14th and 17th minutes of play.
Simone Jackson got USC (1-0) on the board with the match's lone goal, slotting home a shot from 10 yards out top-center in the 22nd minute.
Sparkowski earned the fourth starting nod of her career and came up big in the 38th minute, bursting off her line to snuff out a breakaway opportunity from Jackson just inside the 18-yard box. Her effort kept the score at 1-0 heading into the half.
Coming out of the half, Sparkowski came up big once again. A through ball was played in for Jackson over the top, resulting in another breakaway chance that was also stopped by the senior at the top of the six to hold the score at 1-0.
Junior Syah Mangat and sophomore Abby Zugay made their Wolverine debuts. At the same time, Prych was the first Wolverine to start a season opener as a striker since Nkem Ezurike in 2012. Additionally, freshmen Lilley Bosley, Campbell Jewell, Jasmine Raines and Stella Tapia donned the maize and blue for the first time.
Michigan concludes its season-opening West Coast swing with a contest at Pepperdine on Sunday (Aug. 20) at 1 p.m. PDT. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Simone Jackson (1)
Assisted By: Kayla Colbert
Carried into area, tapped to 80 for left-footed shot to left post
21:49
