#15 Husky Women’s Soccer Takes Down USC Behind Stout Defense and Holdenried Goal
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Returning home to Husky Soccer Stadium, the 15th-ranked Washington women’s soccer team bounced back from a tough road loss to 2nd-ranked Michigan State with a victory over USC. The first win for the Huskies against USC in Seattle since October 4th, 2015, came on the back of Washington’s strong defense and a Jadyn Holdenried goal in the third minute. A match that certainly could’ve, and maybe should’ve, seen the Huskies put home a few more goals ends in three points for Washington regardless, as they continue Big Ten play with this three-match homestand.
Washington pounced on USC early in the contest in front of a crowd of 2,239 at Husky Soccer Stadium, shortly after a corner kick from the bleacher side of the field. Andrea Leyva’s initial ball was punched away by USC freshman goalkeeper Josie Biehl before a cross from Maya Loudd kept it alive. Loudd’s ball back into the 18-yard box took a kind bounce to Samiah Shell just outside of the six-yard box, who found Leyva crashing back into the 18 to slip a pass in along the goal line for Jadyn Holdenried.
The fourth-year midfielder tapped the ball cleanly past Biehl for the score, opening things up with a bang for a UW team looking to shake off a rough road loss to the second-ranked team in the country last time out. The Huskies look ready to start a new unbeaten streak as they continue their conference play push, after seeing their 10-match unbeaten streak to open the season, the longest streak in program history, snapped at the hands of Michigan State on the road.
UW looked to double their lead in the first half, 29 minutes after Holdenried’s opener. Looking to continue Washington’s run of defenders scoring here in 2026, Maya Loudd was sent in on goal from a throughball by Lucy Newlin. Loudd, UW’s fourth-year outside back, had slipped past the Trojans backline unnoticed and looked primed to score the Huskies’ second goal of the night. Her initial right-footed shot was stopped by Biehl with a kick save before a second right-footed attempt went just wide of the near post.
Biehl, who is the #1-ranked goalkeeper prospect by TopDrawerSoccer and had a 1.62 goals-against average with a .726 save percentage on 45 stops coming into this match, ensured that USC kept the deficit at one goal. Loudd had been looking to add to UW’s goal contributions from the defensive unit this year, with five of Washington's 16 goals this season prior to this match being scored by players on the back line, but she’d be denied as the match went into the halftime break with the 1-0 advantage for the home side instead of a two-goal lead.
After the break, Washington continued to push for a second goal. With the ball in the USC half in the 51st minute and looking for a way to break down the Trojans’ backline, Holdenried sent a through ball into the team bench-side corner for the speedy Alex Buck. Beating a USC player to the ball, “Bucky” sent a bouncing cross toward the six-yard box, hoping either Lucy Newlin or Samiah Shell could bounce on it. Newlin made a sliding attempt to poke the bouncing cross home, but Biehl initially swatted it away before she could corral it fully.
The pressure didn’t stop for the Huskies, as another attempt came from a player involved in the aforementioned attempt just 15 minutes later. An Anna Menti deep ball over the top to Samiah Shell up the bleacher side of the field created a footrace, which Shell won to put her alone on goal. At about the midway point of the 18-yard box, Shell fired off a left-footed attempt that forced a diving save to the right of Biehl for a corner, denying a near-post opportunity.
Behind Washington's stout defense, which never conceded a shot on target and allowed only two corner kicks, plus the goal by Holdenried and the Huskies' overall attacking pressure, the home crowd went home happy with a victory over USC.
There will be no doubt that the Huskies and head coach Nicole Van Dyke will leave the field and head home after this match wanting more out of their attack, considering the chances they got on goal and the pressure they applied to the Trojans’ defensive unit, but they’ll happily take the points in conference play as they direct their attention to the rest of the homestand.
Quick notes from this match
The announced attendance at Husky Soccer Stadium for this Big Ten regular-season match between the visiting USC Trojans and the Washington Huskies was 2,239.
With tonight’s victory, Washington still trails the all-time series with USC, 11-19-3, snapping a three-match losing streak to the Trojans with a 1-0 road victory a season ago.
UW now has a series lead when the teams square off in Seattle, at 7-6-2.
Last season’s road win was UW's first win over USC since 2019.
Washington has won 14 of its last 18 games by a single goal, including 11 1-0 victories.
UW has won 17 matches by one goal since the start of the 2025 season.
This shutout was the Huskies' eighth of the season.
With a clean sheet tonight, Washington has tied Georgetown for the most shutouts since 2024 with 31.
While not being forced to make a save in this match, UW goalkeeper Tanner Ijams recorded her 18th career clean sheet, moving ahead of Husky legend Hope Solo for sole possession of third-place all-time at Washington.
Ijams is now just three shutouts shy of Megan Kufeld's record of 21.
With an assist on Jadyn Holdenried’s third-minute goal, Husky forward Andrea Leyva added a fifth helper on the season, a team lead.
This win for Washington kept USC winless in Big Ten play (0-5-1 so far), and the Trojans have now lost five of their last six.
What’s next?
Tonight’s win over USC keeps the 15th-ranked Washington Husky women’s soccer team at home for two matches next week as they continue a three-match homestand. After tonight’s result at Husky Soccer Stadium, the next contest in the homestand sees the Iowa Hawkeyes travel to the Pacific Northwest on Thursday, October 8th, with kickoff at 7:00 PM PDT and a broadcast on Big Ten Plus. This match between the Huskies and Hawkeyes is Washington’s Huskies for a Cure match, sponsored by Seattle Children’s. You can join UW at Husky Soccer Stadium as we remember our teammate Mia Hamant and show support for all fighters, survivors, and those affected by cancer. Specially designed Shut Out Cancer lanyards will be handed out to attendees.
This win over USC puts the Huskies fourth in the Big Ten standings, behind Ohio State, UCLA, and Purdue. Washington has a 9-1-2 overall record and a 4-1-1 record in conference play.
This matchup against Iowa next week will be the third matchup ever between the two programs, with both of the previous contests taking place back in 2024: a road loss for the Huskies in October and a 5-4 win on penalties in the Big Ten tournament to advance to the semifinal round off the back of three saves in the shootout from Mia Hamant. Currently, Iowa sits at a 5-3-4 record and will host Rutgers tomorrow afternoon before heading out for a Pacific Northwest road trip against Washington and Oregon.
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Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social 〰️
Follow our accounts dedicated strictly to University of Washington athletics! Instagram: @CSS_UWHuskies Twitter: @CSS_College
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Follow our accounts dedicated strictly to University of Washington athletics! Instagram: @CSS_UWHuskies Twitter: @CSS_College 〰️
Check out our previous CSS Huskies articles here.
Check out our previous Washington Husky women’s soccer articles here.
Check out more articles written by Charles Hamaker here.
Cover photo by Jules Doyle. Check out his portfolio here.
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