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Season Opener Sunday at College of Charleston
Women's Soccer  . 

Season Opener Sunday at College of Charleston

COLUMBIA, S.C.— No. 17 South Carolina will try again to open its 2021 season as the Gamecocks travel to College of Charleston for a 7 p.m. match on Sun., Aug. 22. The match will stream live on FloSports.
  
2021 Season Notables

  • South Carolina was originally scheduled to kick off the season at home on Thursday against The Citadel, but sustained inclement weather postponed the match. The teams will look to reschedule later this season.
  • Head coach Shelley Smith returns 21 of last season’s 26 letterwinners, including the team’s top three goal scorers and four fifth-year seniors who chose to return for their bonus year of eligibility.
  • South Carolina was picked by the league’s coaches to finish third in the 2021 SEC regular season. The Gamecocks have not finished a season lower than third in the SEC since 2015.
  • Five Gamecocks were named to the SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List – Catherine Barry, Lauren Chang, Samantha Chang, Ryan Gareis, Jyllissa Harris.
  • South Carolina played an exhibition at Wake Forest last week, topping the Demon Deacons 2-0. The Gamecocks dominated the opening 12 minutes of the match with goals from Barry and Gareis in that stretch and never looked back.
  • South Carolina added six freshmen to the collection of returning letterwinners, including five who saw the pitch in the exhibition at Wake Forest.

Look Back at Last Season

  • South Carolina earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight season and the 13th time under Smith. The Gamecocks advanced to the second round.
  • The Gamecocks finished the shortened and split 2020-21 season 11-5-0 overall and finished atop the SEC East standings with a 6-2-0 record. They were ranked No. 21 in the final United Soccer Coaches Poll.
  • In her college debut season, Catherine Barry led the team in scoring with six goals and 16 points (6G, 4A) to earn spots on the SEC All-Freshman and SEC All-Tournament Teams.
  • Forward Corinna Zullo also capitalized on her first college season to tie for second on the team with 10 points, including five goals, including three gamewinners.
  • At season’s end, Lauren Change and Jyllissa Harris were both named to an All-SEC and All-Southeast Region Team.

 
Series History

  • The Gamecocks hold a 6-1-2 record all-time against College of Charleston, including a 3-0 win on just under six months ago (Mar. 3) in Columbia.
  • South Carolina has won the last four meetings and has not allowed a goal in the last three.

 
Scouting the Cougars

  • College of Charleston got its season opener in on Thursday night, playing Georgia Southern to a 1-1 tie.
  • The Cougars also played a pair of exhibition games, falling to Furman 2-1 and defeating The Citadel 3-2.
  • In his 12th season at CofC, head coach Christian Michner returns a pair of third-team All-CAA players in fifth-year senior defender Leah Deutsch and junior forward Grace Powell.

 
 
For women’s soccer updates, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team on social media (@GamecockWSoccer).
 

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