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Oct. 31, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina is seeded fifth in this year’s SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament and will face fourth seeded Vanderbilt on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 8:30 pm ET (7:30 pm CT). This year’s tournament is located in Orange Beach, Ala. Links for live audio broadcast as well as live stats will be available at uscsports.com. Carolina enters the tournament with an 11-5-4 record and finished 5-2-4 in the SEC.
This is South Carolina’s fifth trip to the SEC Tournament and first time back since the 2003 season. USC has finished 0-4 in past tournaments including a 1-0 loss to Tennessee in the opening match of the `03 tournament.
South Carolina has met Vanderbilt once in the SEC Tournament, a 2-1 overtime loss in Nashville in 1999. USC’s last three SEC Tournament matches all were one-goal losses to the Commodores, Florida and the Lady Vols.
2006 SEC SOCCER TOURNAMENTOrange Beach SportsplexOrange Beach, Ala.
NOVEMBER1 (Wednesday)Match 1: [7] Ole Miss vs. [2] Kentucky 1 pmMatch 2: [6] Auburn vs. [3] Tennessee 3:30 p.m.Match 3: [8] Georgia vs. [1] Florida 6:00 p.m.Match 4: [5] South Carolina vs. [4] Vanderbilt 8:30 p.m.
3 (Friday)Match 5: Match 1 Winner vs. Match 2 Winner 6:00 p.m.Match 6: Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner 8:30 p.m.
5 (Sunday)Match 7: SEC Soccer Championship [FSN/SUN] 3:30 p.m.
KEYALL TIMES EASTERN* SEC Matches; [ ] TV Match
COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH Shelley Smith
On completing regular season and earning a berth into the SEC Tournament
“I think we probably went beyond many people’s expecations of our program. We’ve been through two disappointing years and we knew we didn’t deserve those results and came up on the short end of a lot matches that could have gone either way. Things changed this year and I give credit to our experience and the team working together. They realized what they needed to do to compete and pull together. The conference is so competitive and I thought we came away with an extremely good record and we had to, to make it to the SEC’s. It has put us in a good position and a competitive position in the region and the SEC Tournament. We are very excited to be a part of postseason play.”
On the SEC Tournament atmosphere
“You know the opponent already and have a little more knowledge to prepare for the match. All the SEC games you have to show up and play. There will be a lot of emotion and you get to that point that you never know what is going to be your last game. Everyone is up for the challenge and leaves it on the field. For us to play Vanderbilt, we were disappointed with our performance in Nashville, but we have a chance to get that back.”
On playing the final match of the first round
“It’s not too different from the regular season because we normally are playing a night game. It will be a similar schedule for us to a Friday night match. Seeing results from earlier in the day, I think it will make us a little more anxious to get to our match. I think we are excited to have the game under the lights and the last game of the day. Everyone will be waiting on our results. Both teams will be ready to compete and for us, we could have been anywhere in the bracket, so we look forward to the opportunity.”
On getting through the SEC regular season
“I think the players are so excited because it is a rewarding feeling for them, to take the team to a level that they haven’t been in the last couple years. The only players on our team that have been to the SEC Tournament are the seniors, and that’s just two players. It’s a new experience for the whole team. It’s much deserved and the players put in the work this year. The minute we lost our last match last year, the players had a bitter taste being last in the conference and set out to make sure that didn’t happen again. That propelled them into the Top 5 of the conference. We know the hard work that has been put in, now we have to make sure we have the confidence to go forward. Even though we haven’t been there, we can compete with anyone.”
ALL-SEC
For the first time since the 1997 season, three players have earned All-SEC honors for South Carolina. Junior defender Courtney Cobbs, junior midfielder Ashley Kirk and freshman defender Blakely Mattern each were named to the All-SEC second team, as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
For Kirk, it is her third straight honor from the conference and second straight year she has earned all-conference accolades. This is both Cobbs and Mattern’s first honor from the SEC. Mattern was also named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
DYNAMIC DEFENSE
South Carolina’s defense this season has been among the best in school history as the Gamecocks have limited opponents to just 13 goals over the course of the season. The nine team shutouts compiled by the Gamecocks ties a school record for the most by USC in a single-season. The 2002 squad also put together nine shutouts.
South Carolina has allowed more than one goal only once in a match this year as well, ironically, it was to Wednesday’s opponent, Vanderbilt, in a 3-0 loss in Nashville. The team’s overall goals against average of 0.62 is second best in the conference and 22nd in the nation.
WE PROTECT THE HOUSE
South Carolina finished the regular season as the only undefeated team in the SEC in home matches with an 8-0-3 record at Stone Stadium this fall. It marked the first time ever that Carolina finished with an undefeated home record. The 11-game unbeaten streak at Stone Stadium is a school record as well with the eight victories one shy of a school record nine set in the 1999 home season. Carolina has proven to be a tough team to beat at the Graveyard with a 34-16-6 record (.661) at Stone Stadium under head coach Shelley Smith.
Coach Smith’s record at home includes a 24-2 (.923) mark against non-conference teams. USC has won 17 straight home contests vs. non-conference teams dating back to beginning of 2003.
ONE
It certainly has been tight for South Carolina in many matches this year as USC is currently among SEC leaders in one-goalmatches. The Gamecock have played in 11 one-goal matches. South Carolina has a winning record with a 7-4 mark this season in those matches played including a 5-0 record at home.
Along with 11 one-goal matches, the Gamecocks have also played five overtime contests with one victory and four draws in those contests. USC enters this week having played four consecutive overtime matches, the first time in school history as well as a school record four ties.
ARMSTRONG NAMED TO SEC COMMUNITY SERVICE TEAM
South Carolina junior goalkeeper Laura Armstrong has been named to the 2006 SEC Soccer Community Service Team as announced on Monday afternoon by the league office. Armstrong volunteers with the Harvest Hope Food Bank, YWCA, and other youth soccer clinics. She has volunteered over 125 hours with Young Life, a faith-based mentoring program for high school students. A mechanical engineering major, Armstrong was on the 2004-05 SEC Freshman Honor Roll, President’s List (Fall 2004), Dean’s List (Spring 2005), and is a Palmetto Fellow, University, and USC Engineering Scholar.
The SEC sponsors Community Service Teams for all 20 league sponsored sports. The Community Service Team looks to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts.
