Courtesy: USC Athletics
USC junior goalie Carolyne Stern came up big for the top-ranked Trojans in their 9-7 win over No. 3 UCLA, and her performance has netted her first career honor as the MPSF Player of the Week.
Against the Bruins in the final game of the regular season last weekend, Stern made eight saves, including a 5-meter penalty stop and two 1-on-1 counterattack saves. She also had a steal in the win. Her eighth save against a 7-on-6 attack preserved USC’s 9-7 lead in the final minute. Stern’s performance not only helped USC wrap an undefeated run through MPSF play, it improved her career saves total to 154 — lifting the junior to rank No. 9 all-time in career saves at USC.
Stern is the fourth Trojan to be named an MPSF Player of the Week this season, following two selections apiece for Tilly Kearns and Bayley Weber and one for Mireia Guiral. Stern and the Trojans have earned the top seed for this week’s MPSF Tournament, which takes place at USC’s Uytengsu Aquatics Center from April 22-24. USC has a first-round bye to go straight into a 2:30 p.m. semifinal on Saturday (April 23). Placement games take place on Sunday (April 24), culminating in the championship game at 2:30 p.m.