No. 3 Gamecocks Play Host To High Point
Aug. 26, 2017
#3 Women’s Soccer vs. High Point
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 3 South Carolina women’s soccer plays host to High Point this weekend on Sun., Aug. 27. Kickoff from Stone Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, and Sunday’s contest will mark the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The Gamecocks topped the Panthers 2-0 at home during the 2014 season.
South Carolina soccer matches are included in the Athletics Department’s clear bag policy for all ticketed athletics events in a move designed to provide a safer environment and more expedited entry for fans. The policy will limit the size and type of bags that may be brought into South Carolina Athletics events. Information on the Clear Bag Policy and other Game Day Policies can be found online.
FROM THE COACH
“High Point always gives us a great match. Coach Marty Beall does a tremendous job there, and we’re glad to be home against them. It’s just a quality opponent, and we don’t get much break in this non-conference schedule.” ââ’¬” Shelley Smith
SCOUTING HIGH POINT
The Panthers enter this weekend with a mark of 2-1-0 following a 1-0 victory in their home opener against Ohio on Friday. Senior midfielder Paige Rombach netted the game-winner, converting a first-half penalty kick in the 19th minute. Rombach and sophomore midfielder Maggie Gruber are tied for the team lead with two points through three matches in 2017, while freshman defender Mackenzie Mullens is third with one point on one assist.
High Point has conceded just two goals this season, and its performance against Ohio marked its second clean sheet of the year. The Panthers are 1-1-0 on the road for the year, splitting its matches at Appalachian State (W, 1-0) and Georgia (L, 1-0).
Last season, High Point captured the 2016 Big South Regular Season Championship and finished with a mark of 13-6-2. The Panthers, who were picked to finish second in the Big South in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches, have won three conference regular season titles under Marty Beall.
LAST TIME OUT
South Carolina suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday, falling to Wake Forest 3-2 on the road. Senior striker Savannah McCaskill paced the Gamecocks with two first-half tallies that established a 2-1 lead through 45 minutes of action.
The Demon Deacons rallied in the second period, and a header in the box in the 51st minute by midfielder Bayley Feist evened the score at two. Wake Forest went ahead 3-2 just over 10 minutes later when freshman forward Hannah Betfort one-timed a shot that snuck the ball inside the right point.
The Gamecocks outshot the Demon Deacons 9-6 for the match and put five attempts on frame. Each of McCaskill’s four attempts were put on target, while Carolina goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski tallied one save in the contest. With the loss, the Gamecocks saw their program-record six-match road winning streak snapped. The stretch dated back to last season.
POLLING WELL
South Carolina climbed to the No. 3 spot in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, which was released on Monday. The Gamecocks, who spent five weeks ranked inside the top three last season, earned the program’s highest preseason ranking ever this fall after opening at No. 4. Carolina has been ranked in the top five in each of the previous 10 installments of the poll dating back to last September.
NEW FACES IN THE LINEUP
Four newcomers have earned the start in each of Carolina’s first three matches of the season. Freshmen Sarah Eskew and Jackie Schaefer have started on the Gamecock back line, and the pair of defenders helped South Carolina post a shutout in its season opener against UCF (Aug. 18). Redshirt senior transfer Meaghan Carrigan and freshman Ryan Gareis have also been inserted into the lineup, playing up top in the Gamecock attack. Gareis put three of her four shots on frame over Carolina’s opening two matches.
PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
Carolina attacker Savannah McCaskill continues to carry the Gamecock attack in her senior season. The Chapin, S.C., native, who has netted a goal in each of the last two matches, leads the team in points (8), goals (3) and shots (13). She logged her first multi-goal game of the season in Thursday’s loss to Wake Forest, and the forward’s second-half tally against FGCU (Aug. 20) marked the game-winner. McCaskill, the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, has recorded a point in each of Carolina’s three matches this season.
RAISING THE BAHR
Gamecock striker Elexa Bahr has enjoyed a productive start to her sophomore campaign after netting goals in each of Carolina’s first two matches. The Buford, Ga., native’s two tallies are one 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 forward. Bahr’s two goals, four points and five shots on goal all rank second among Gamecocks this season.
MCCASKILL’S MARCH TOWARDS 100
With a pair of goals against Wake Forest on Thursday, Carolina forward Savannah McCaskill moved three point shy of 100 for her career. Her 97 points, which rank third all-time among Gamecocks, sit 22 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.
A SPARK OFF THE BENCH
Carolina freshman midfielder Lauren Chang had a hand in a pair of goals over the opening weekend against UCF (Aug. 18) and Florida Gulf Coast (Aug. 20). The Gamecock newcomer, who came off the bench in both contests, tallied her first collegiate goal against the Knights after smashing home a shot from outside the box in the second half. She set up the game-winner against the Eagles, maneuvering around the FGCU defense before drawing a foul near the left side of the box. Chang’s two points are good for the second-best total among Gamecocks in 2017.
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 travels to South Bend, Ind., this weekend for a pair of matches against nationally ranked opponents. The Gamecocks face No. 24 Notre Dame on Fri., Sept. 1, before playing No. 23 Michigan in a neutral contest on Sun., Sept. 3.
