No. 4 USC wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a convincing 13-6 road victory over No.
8 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday in Santa Barbara, Calif., and the result gave the Trojans their 12th ranked win of the season. USC improved to 15-5 overall with one regular-season game still to play.
The tone was set almost immediately. Ante Jerkovic put USC on the board just 45 seconds into the game, finishing off an Efe Naipoglu assist to give the Trojans an early jolt.
Tyler Anderson then took over the first quarter, scoring twice as USC built a 5-1 lead after eight minutes. UC Santa Barbara’s only goal in the opening period came on a penalty, while Charles Mills kept the Gauchos off the scoreboard on field attempts.
USC kept pressing in the second quarter and widened the gap to six when Naipoglu and Strahinja Krstic scored to open the frame. UCSB found a little more rhythm late in the first half, but the Trojans still carried an 8-4 advantage into halftime.
From there, USC never let the game slip. The Trojans held a 12-6 edge after three quarters and then blanked the Gauchos in the fourth to close out the 13-6 win.
Anderson and Robert López Duart led the scoring with three goals apiece. Jerkovic and Krstic each added two, while Naipoglu finished with a goal and three assists.
That pushed his season assist total to 54, a team high. In goal, Mills finished with six saves and three steals.
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