Megan Orach Class: Senior Hometown: Huntington Beach High School: Marina Height: 5-7 Position: Defender Birthdate: 06/01/1979

THIS SEASON: As one of the team's co-captains, Orach, a senior, begins her second season at the defender position after playing her first two seasons as a forward.

JIM MILLINDER SAYS: "Megan enters her second year in the back and she comes in as a solid defender. She has great ability to tackle, has great anticipation and is a solid competitor. Megan is one of our captains this year and is solid in the air. She should be our team leader in the back. It's her senior year, she has helped to build this program from the ground up and I know she wants to go out with a great run this year."

CAREER: On the USC career charts, Orach is fourth in game-winning goals (six), tied for sixth in assists (11) and is eighth in points (35) and goals (12)

1999: After spending two seasons at forward, Orach switched to defender as a 1999 junior and did a terrific job...started all 20 matches...scored one goal (against Washington) and had one assist (against UC Irvine) for a total of three points...attempted 19 shots...over the summer, she played for the Olympic Development Program Cal-South team.

1998: Orach's versatility was a great plus for USC, as she played forward, midfielder and defender as a 1998 sophomore...scored nine points on three goals and three assists and took 35 shots...two of her three goals were game-winners (against Stanford and Oregon) and two of the three goals came against Oregon...for the second straight year, she scored a goal against Oregon in the first minute of the match...her club team, the Mission Viejo Shamrocks, won the Under-19 national championship in the summer of 1998.

1997: An outstanding addition as a 1997 freshman, Orach scored eight goals (tied for ninth in the Pac-10) to go with seven assists (tied for fourth in the Pac-10) for a total of 23 points (eighth in the Pac-10)...also had four game-winning goals (tied for 10th in the West Region)...tied the school single-game record with eight points (three goals and two assists) against Cal State Fullerton and incredibly, did it all in the first half...earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors for that feat...scored the game-winner at Iowa State in her first collegiate game...other top performances included two goals and an assist against Oregon and a goal and an assist against Loyola Marymount.

HIGH SCHOOL: Megan started all four years at Marina High in Huntington Beach, Calif., and was named to the 1996 and 1997 Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and the 1995 second team, while also being named a three-time All-Sunset League first team and one-time second team selection...played in a postseason all-star game featuring the top seniors in the area...Marina won the 1994 and 1995 CIF Division I and Sunset League championships and was once unbeaten in 61 consecutive games...was inducted into Marina's Athletic Hall of Fame for soccer, and also played softball and ran track...was a four-year scholar-athlete at Marina and graduated with honors...was a member of the ODP Cal-South and Western Region teams in 1996-97...her club team, the Shamrocks, had a second-place national finish in 1995...was named MVP of the Far West Regional Tournament that year.

PERSONAL: Orach is majoring in education at USC...lists the toughest opponents she has ever played against as U.S. National Team members Kristine Lilly and Tisha Venturini...enjoys snowboarding and snow skiing and her sports hero is Evander Holyfield...birthdate is June 1, 1979.