Oct. 24, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s soccer senior defender Paige Bendell has been tabbed the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Bendell becomes the fourth Gamecock to earn weekly conference honors this season, and Monday’s accolade marks the third-straight week a Carolina player was named the league’s defensive player of the week.
Bendell contributed on both ends of the field this past week for the No. 2 Gamecocks (16-0-1, 10-0-0 SEC), who captured the SEC Regular-Season Title Sunday after downing Tennessee 2-0. The center back opened the scoring for Carolina against Vanderbilt last Thursday (Oct. 20), heading home her third goal of the season with just 48 seconds gone in the match. Her score marked the second-quickest goal in school history, and Bendell helped the Gamecocks limit the Commodores to three shots on target.
South Carolina picked up its 10th shutout of the season in its 2-0 victory over Tennessee on Sunday. The Gamecocks, who have allowed just three goals in league play in 2016, lead the conference and rank fifth in Division I with a 0.40 goals against average.
Bendell and Carolina round out the regular season Thursday (Oct. 27) at home against Ole Miss. It will be Senior Night for the Gamecocks, who will honor Bendell and eight other players prior to the match. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the contest will air on SEC Network. A victory against the Rebels will extend South Carolina’s program-record 16-match winning streak and give the Gamecocks their first undefeated regular season.
