Oct. 8, 2004
Nashville, Tenn. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team (6-6-2, 0-3-2 SEC) battled Vanderbilt (3-5-3, 2-1-2 SEC) to a 1-1 tie on Friday evening in SEC action at the Vanderbilt Soccer Stadium. Gamecock freshman midfielder Kimmy Gillespie scored her first career goal for USC and freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Thorstenson finished with six saves as the Gamecocks finished in a tie in the team’s second consecutive Friday contest.
“I thought we played a pretty good match and gave a good effort on the road,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “We let ourselves down a little bit after going ahead with the first goal and letting them come back on us and scoring but to get a point on the road is important. We must continue to put forward a solid effort and battle as we go to Kentucky on Sunday.”
After a scoreless first half, Carolina was able to get on the scoreboard first with Gillespie’s goal at 73:56. Carolina midfielder Jessi Swaim served a corner kick into the box that was headed on into the goal by Gillespie and past Commodores goalkeeper Tyler Griffin to give USC a one-goal lead. Swaim’s assist on the goal was her fifth of the season and leads USC on the year. Vanderbilt would tie the match though at 81:00 as Meghan Habig knocked a shot past Thorstenson to even the match at one goal apiece. Habig took a touch pass at the top of the 18 to score for the Commodores.
USC finished the match with an 11-10 shot advantage on the evening with Gillespie, Ashley Kirk, Erin Sullivan and Amanda Thurber all tallying two shots on the night. This is the first tie in the South Carolina-Vanderbilt soccer series. South Carolina returns to action on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. as the Gamecocks travel to Lexington, Ky. to face the Kentucky Wildcats.
