Sept. 29, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina freshman Natalie Aaron was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after a two-goal weekend that led Carolina to a 1-0-1 weekend, the conference office announced Monday.

Aaron enjoyed a career weekend for the Gamecocks, hitting the game-winning goal in the 74th minute against All-American goalkeeper Jaimel Johnson to defeat Tennessee before recording the game-tying goal in the 73rd minute in a 1-1 tie with Georgia. The goals were the first two of Aaron’s career and push her to fifth on the team with five points after entering the weekend with only one assist.

Aaron becomes the third player in Carolina history to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors, the most recent coming when Brooke Jacobs picked up the accolade last season. The freshman of the week honor is the first for a Gamecock this season, and Aaron is the second player on the team to be honored by the conference office after classmate Kayla Grimsley was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week in the fourth week of the season.

South Carolina (7-1-3, 1-0-1 SEC) returns to action this weekend when they travel to Kentucky and Vanderbilt for the first SEC road trip of the season. The Gamecocks entered the Soccer America national poll Monday at No. 24 and are currently ranked No. 30 in Soccer Buzz magazine’s poll released Monday.