Sept. 23, 2004
The South Carolina women’s soccer team (6-3) begins competition in the SEC this weekend as the Gamecocks head on the road for conference matches at Auburn (5-2) and Alabama (4-4). Carolina will face Auburn on Friday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET with a Sunday matchup vs. the Crimson Tide at 2 p.m. ET. USC enters the weekend riding a two-game winning streak following wins over Clemson and Charlotte last week.
“We are definitely excited to start SEC play,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “We know how important it is for our season. I think we have prepared well with our non-conference schedule. All the players have been working hard. Everyone is positive and feeling some confidence after last weekend. It’s a matter of focusing on our opponents and getting the job done.”
The last two matches between South Carolina and Auburn have resulted in a pair of ties. USC battled to a 1-1 tie on the road against Auburn two years ago. The Gamecocks came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to tie the match midway into the second half. Midfielder Melissa Hutson drove a shot from 20 yards out over the head of Auburn goalkeeper Megan Rivera and off the crossbar into the goal to tie the match at one. Goalkeeper Elise Matthews and Rivera each finished the night with four saves. Last season both Matthews and Rivera continued to shine in between the posts as both teams played to a 0-0 tie. For 110 minutes both Auburn and South Carolina exchanged scoring opportunities with no shots passing across the goal line. Matthews had five saves on the evening.
“Auburn is a very dangerous attacking team,” said Coach Smith. “We have to do well to stay together defensively, defend as a group and make sure we create our own opportunities on offense.”
USC has had recent success vs. Alabama and lead the series history 4-1 including consecutive victories in 2002 and 2003. South Carolina clinched a spot in the SEC Tournament two years agao with a 2-0 win on a wet and cold Sunday afternoon in Tuscaloosa. Amanda Thurber scored her first collegiate goal and Jessica Julin added one goal as USC defeated Alabama 2-1. Last season USC earned a 2-0 victory over the Crimson Tide in Columbia. The match was scoreless up until the last five minutes when Carolina put two past Alabama goalkeeper Laura Lowman. Ashley Williams and Shelly Hoddeson each scored and Elise Matthews set both single-season and career records with a shutout in goal.
South Carolina returns home on Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. when USC hosts Georgia at Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks will also face defending SEC champion Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader with the USC men’s team. The men will face Gardner Webb at 4 p.m. following the women’s match. Both matches will be broadcast live at www.uscsports.com.
