Nov. 13, 2009
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina scored three goals within four minutes in the early part of the second half and a stingy defense allowed just three shots on the evening as the Gamecocks defeated Davidson 4-0 on Friday night in NCAA Women’s Soccer First Round action at Stone Stadium. The win is Carolina’s first postseason victory in women’s soccer history and advances the team to a Second Round matchup vs. Rutgers on Sunday, Nov. 15 with the tilt set to begin at 1 p.m. South Carolina is now 18-3-2 on the year while Davidson ends the season with a 12-10-1 record. The match was played in front of 3,813 fans, the largest attended women’s soccer match in South Carolina history.
Kayla Grimsley tied a career-high with two goals, both coming in the second half, and Brooke Jacobs and Samantha Diaz-Matosas each recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Gamecocks on offense. Carolina was dominant on the offensive side with a 16-3 advantage in shots for the contest.
Jacobs would get the ball rolling for Carolina with a goal in the 30th minute of play. An aggressive attack for Carolina paid off in the 30th minute as the junior forward gained possession and control of the ball and turned from 30 yards out drilling a shot into the high left corner giving Carolina the goal advantage
With a 1-0 lead, the Gamecocks attacked the Davidson goal early into the second half resulting in three more goals. The first scoring opportunity in the second half resulted in a score and a 2-0 lead. Samantha Diaz-Matosas launched a free kick into the box that saw Grimsley control and knock into the back of the net. Diaz-Matosas then tallied her first goal of the game as she drove half the field to put in Carolina’s third goal of the match. From just inside outside the penalty area, Diaz-Matosas drilled a ball from 20 yards into the high right corner that went past Davidson goalkeeper Jessie Baxa. The string climaxed at the 56th minute, as Grimsley was able to control a rebound from a shot by Jacobs and scored on the second attempt just inside the six-yard box.
South Carolina recorded the team’s 14th shutout of the season. Junior goalkeeper Mollie Patton played all 90 minutes to record a shutout in goal. Despite the loss, Baxa was stellar in goal for the Wildcats as she finished with seven saves.
Carolina was on the attack the entire night and strung together many opportunities in the first half before Jacobs’ first goal. Solid play by Davidson goalkeeper Jessie Baxa kept Carolina off the scoreboard through the first third of the match. Kim Miller put the first shot on goal for the Gamecocks with a direct shot from 12 yards out on net in the fifth minute of play that was denied by Baxa. Carolina would add a second shot in the 11th minute as Lindsey Small drove one from 30 yards out that went above the crossbar. The third shot of the game came at the 13th minute as a cross by Grimsley found Diaz-Matosas just outside the “six” only to see her shot saved by Baxa. Diaz-Matosas almost got another one at 17:47 as a cross from Jacobs found her inside the “six.” Diaz-Matosas’ header went a little high and just above the crossbar. Kortney Rhodes had a dangerous opportunity for Carolina at the 23rd minute. Off Miller’s corner kick, the Gamecocks kept the ball alive and it bounced around the penalty area with Rhodes getting a good look at the goal from 10 yards out and a shot just wide of the far post. Grimsley found her way in at 24:08 only to be denied by Baxa. A long service ball into the penalty box also saw Blakely Mattern almost end up with a goal at 24:53 only to see Baxa make her fourth save of the half. Baxa was credited with another save on a strong opportunity for Carolina at 27:49. This time Baxa denied Small, who put one on net from eight yards out.
It would be Jacobs that found the back of the net first on her goal at 29:02, her fifth goal of the year. She nearly had a nearly had a second goal right before the end of the first half as she put another shot on goal from 10 yards out only to see Baxa come up with a diving save with just 30 seconds remaining. South Carolina dominated possession in the first half with an 11-1 advantage in shots. Baxa ended the half with five saves for Davidson.
