No. 11 Gamecocks Set To Face Notre Dame, No. 23 Michigan This Weekend
Aug. 31, 2017
#11 Women’s Soccer vs. Notre Dame | #23 Michigan
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 11 South Carolina women’s soccer continues its non-conference slate this weekend at the Notre Dame Invitational in Indiana. The Gamecocks open the tournament against the host Irish on Fri., Sept. 1, before facing No. 23 Michigan in a neutral contest set for Sun., Sept. 3. Friday’s contest against Notre Dame kicks off at 7 p.m. ET, while Sunday’s match is slated for 2:30 p.m. ET. Both games take place at Alumni Stadium, and this weekend will mark Carolina’s first meeting with each team.
FROM THE COACH
“These are the kind of games we look forward to. Playing a national power like Notre Dame on their field is a great experience. We’re excited to bring the best game we can. Michigan is also a quality side. We know we have a big task to go on the road and play two top opponents. We just need to be prepared and recover well from Friday so we’re ready for Sunday. It’s something we know will be a challenge, and it’s something that will prepare us for conference play.” — South Carolina women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
The Irish enter Friday’s match unbeaten on the season after posting a 2-0-2 mark through their first four games. Notre Dame moved past Iowa 2-0 in its last match this past Sunday after getting goals from junior defender Sabrina Flores and sophomore forward Natalie Jacobs. Flores ranks second among the Irish with four points, and her two tallies in 2017 are tied with freshman Jennifer Westerndorf for the team lead.
Notre Dame has yet to concede a goal at home this year, and the team boasted a 4-0 victory over Ball State (Aug. 20) in its previous match at Alumni Stadium. The Irish, who won the 2016 ACC Regular-Season Championship, have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of their three years under head coach Theresa Romagnolo. Notre Dame returns nine starters this year from last season’s squad that fell to SIU Edwardsville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
The No. 23 Wolverines (3-0-1) bring one of the top defenses in the country to Indiana this weekend. Michigan has allowed just one goal through four matches, and its 0.237 goals against average ranks second in the Big 10 and 13th among NCAA Division I schools. The Wolverines, who also rank No. 11 nationally in save percentage (0.952), drew with Ole Miss 1-1 last Friday (Aug. 25) in their lone game away from home this season.
On the offensive end, Michigan is led by redshirt junior forward Taylor Timko and sophomore midfielder Brooke Cilley. Timko leads the Wolverines in points (8) and goals (3), while Cilley’s five assists lead the team and mark the highest individual total in Division I.
Michigan has qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times under head coach Greg Ryan, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2012 before reaching the Elite Eight in 2013. The Wolverines, who have posted at least 10 wins in each of the last five seasons, will be the first ranked opponent Carolina faces this year.
LAST TIME OUT
South Carolina tallied a season-high three goals en route to a 3-0 home victory over High Point this past Sunday. Freshmen Luciana Zullo and Sarah Eskew and sophomore Elexa Bahr found the back of the net for the Gamecocks, who remained perfect (3-0-0) at home following the win over the Panthers.
Zullo opened the scoring in the 32nd minute after converting from inside the box, while Eskew’s strike from 19 yards away pushed the lead to 2-0 before the two teams headed to the locker room. Both tallies marked the first collegiate goals for the Carolina newcomers, and the lead was stretched to 3-0 after Bahr scored on a header in the 53rd minute. The Gamecock defense allowed just two shots on goal for the match, and South Carolina ended the contest with a commanding 20-3 shot advantage.
STAYING POWER
South Carolina sits just outside the top-10 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after claiming the No. 11 spot in the organization’s latest rankings. The Gamecocks, who spent the first two weeks ranked inside the top-five, have been positioned in the top-15 in each of the poll’s last 14 installments dating back to last season. Carolina entered the fall with the program’s highest preseason ranking after being listed at No. 4 earlier this month.
SOUTH CAROLINA AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
South Carolina sports an all-time mark of 27-57-12 against ranked opponents. The Gamecocks boasted a program single-season record five victories over top-25 foes in 2016, defeating No. 6 Clemson (2-1), No. 11 Arkansas (3-1), No. 17 Florida (1-0), No. 20 Colorado (1-0) and No. 4 BYU (1-0). Carolina is 3-11-3 all-time against ranked foes in neutral contests, and its last win over a top-25 opponent away from Stone Stadium came in the third round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament when the Gamecocks topped UNC 1-0.
NEW FACES IN THE LINEUP
Six newcomers have been included in Carolina’s starting lineup over the team’s first four matches of 2017. Freshman center back Jackie Schaefer and forwards Meaghan Carrigan and Ryan Gareis have earned the start in each of the Gamecocks’ four games, while right back Sarah Eskew has started three contests this season. Freshman midfielder Lauren Chang and sophomore transfer Grace Fisk made their first start for Carolina in the team’s 3-0 victory over High Point this past weekend. Eskew and Chang both rank third on the team with one goal, while Schaefer and Fisk helped the Gamecocks limit the Panthers to just three total shots on Sunday.
A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
Carolina striker Savannah McCaskill continues to carry the Gamecock attack in her senior season. The Chapin, S.C., native, who leads the team in points (9), goals (3) and shots (16), has registered a point in each of South Carolina’s four matches in 2017. She logged her first multi-goal game of the season against Wake Forest (Aug. 24), and the forward’s second-half tally against FGCU (Aug. 20) resulted in the game-winner. McCaskill’s nine points (13th) and three assists (16th) both rank inside the top-20 among NCAA Division I players.
MCCASKILL’S MARCH TOWARDS 100
With an assist against High Point on Sunday, Carolina forward Savannah McCaskill moved two points shy of 100 for her career. Her 98 points, which rank third all-time among Gamecocks, sit 21 away from the all-time school record. McCaskill has led Carolina in points in each of her first three seasons, and her 45 points as a junior in 2016 marked a single-year school record.
RAISING THE BAHR
Gamecock forward Elexa Bahr has enjoyed a productive start to her sophomore campaign after netting goals in three of Carolina’s first four matches. The Buford, Ga., native’s three tallies are two more than she had all of last season, and her goal in the season-opener against UCF on Fri., Aug. 18, marked the first career game-winner for the striker. Bahr’s three goals and seven shots on goal are both good for the team lead, and her six points and 10 shots rank second among Gamecocks this season.
TWO GAMECOCKS LAND ON MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
South Carolina soccer standouts Savannah McCaskill and Mikayla Krzeczowski were named to the 2017 Women’s MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List by the United Soccer Coaches earlier this month. McCaskill, a semifinalist for the award last season, enters this fall with the most game-winners from last year of any returning player. Krzeczowski totaled an impressive 11 clean sheets during her freshman campaign, including eight in SEC play. South Carolina is one of four schools with multiple student-athletes on the list for the annual honor that recognizes the top women’s soccer player in NCAA Division I.
UP NEXT
South Carolina faces in-state rival and No. 8 ranked Clemson on the road next week on Fri., Sept. 8. Kickoff from Historic Riggs Field is set for 7 p.m. ET, and next Friday’s top-15 contest will be the first meeting between the two since the Gamecocks downed the then-No. 6 Tigers 2-1 at Stone Stadium last September.
