Aug. 29, 2004
Harrisonburg, Va. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team fought back twice to erase one-goal deficits but a goal by Kim Argy in the second overtime lifted James Madison to a 3-2 win over the Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at the JMU Soccer Complex. South Carolina falls to 1-1 on the season while James Madison improves to 2-0 on the year.
“We played extremely well in the second half and showed a lot of determination to come back after being down,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “The first half we were flat but we battled back and I think our team learned from this match today.”
James Madison went ahead near the midway point of the first half at 21:34 on a goal by Karly Skladany. Melanie Schaffer’s corner kick sailed to Karly Skladany, who scored on a header to put JMU on top by one goal.
Carolina would tie the match at 1-1 in the early parts of the second half as Jackie Welch scored on a penalty kick at 55:43. Welch’s penalty kick was a result of a foul committed on M.A. Foster in the penalty box. Carolina defender Sarah Lentz came across on the play and fed Foster, who was fouled resulting in the call and eventual goal by Welch.
James Madison regained the lead though at 62:25 as Natalie Ewell found the back of the net to give JMU a one-goal lead.
A pair of USC newcomers connected for South Carolina to knot the match at 2-2 in the 83rd minute as freshman Courtney Cobbs scored her first career goal as a Gamecock off an assist from freshman Erin Sullivan. The assist was also the first point recorded at USC by Sullivan. Sullivan played a through ball to Cobbs, who found the back right corner of the net at 83:20.
The match appeared to be headed to a tie when James Madison broke loose and scored at 108:36 with less than two minutes remaining in the second overtime. A corner kick was called setting up the final goal. On the corner kick, the ball dribbled off the foot of a JMU player from the 18 and towards the goal where Argy drove the shot to the corner and past goalkeeper Laura Armstrong.
The Gamecocks finished the match with an 8-7 advantage in shots despite the loss. Freshman Laura Armstrong played the entire match in goal for USC for the second consecutive contest.
South Carolina continues non-conference action with another match on the road on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. as the Gamecocks travel to Furman. USC will return home to Columbia this weekend with non-conference tilts at Stone Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. vs. Houston and on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. vs. Iowa State. Friday night’s match vs. Houston will be broadcast live on www.uscsports.com with Richard Rowell and Tim Glowienka calling the action.
