Sept. 16, 2003

Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina women’s soccer returns home on Wednesday night with a 7 p.m. non-conference match vs. the Davidson Wildcats at Stone Stadium. Carolina enters the week with a 2-3-1 record with Davidson 3-3 on the year.

South Carolina went 0-1-1 last week in its trip to Texas with a 2-1 loss in overtime to No. 5 Texas A&M and a 1-1 tie in Houston. All three of Carolina’s matches on the road this year have went into overtime. Friday night’s match at Texas A&M was also played in front of a record crowd at the Aggie Soccer Complex with 3,651 fans in attendance for the Gamecocks and Aggies. Freshman Amanda Thurber’s goal at 76:01 in the second half gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. But the Aggies came back with a goal right before the end of regulation and a golden goal in overtime to earn the victory over USC.

Six different USC players have scored this year for Carolina including freshman Shelly Hoddeson, who scored twice in a 3-1 win vs. Dartmouth, the last home game the Gamecocks played. Thurber, senior Erica Bowie, junior Ashely Gosnell and freshmen M.A. Foster and Erin Geldhof own a goal apiece for the Gamecocks. Senior goalkeeper Elise Matthews has played the entire 571:48 for USC this year and owns a 1.10 goals against average.

The Gamecocks have had success vs. Davidson in the past, leading the series 5-2 including last year’s 3-0 win at Davidson. In last year’s match, Elise Matthews earned her second shutout of the season and three different players scored as USC won its first road match of the year. Ashley Williams broke open the scoring for the Gamecocks in the first half at 24:37 scoring on a breakaway past Davidson goalkeeper Sarah Hobart. Camille Toney made it 2-0 in the second half off a pass from midfielder Stacy Bunchman and scored her first collegiate goal. South Carolina finished the scoring at 79:15 as Becca Epstein’s cross found Morgan McIntyre in the middle of the box, who ripped a shot to the left corner giving Carolina a 3-0 lead.

Carolina also hosts N.C. State this week on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. USC defeated N.C. State 1-0 last year in Raleigh.