Sept. 17, 2003
Columbia, S.C. – Four different South Carolina players scored goals including freshman Shelly Hoddeson, who notched her third of the year, as the South Carolina women’s soccer team defeated Davidson 4-1 on Wednesday evening at Stone Stadium. The win improves Carolina to 3-3-1 on the year while the loss drops Davidson to 3-4 this season.
“I thought we competed well tonight and played the entire 90 minutes,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “Our players showed a lot of heart and desire. We ran across the box well tonight with solid effort and were running like we want to score.”
The Gamecocks opened a 1-0 lead at the 18:12 mark in the match as junior defender Sarah Lentz served a long ball into the box, in which Hoddeson broke between the defenders and knocked the shot to the left corner and past Davidson goalkeeper Sarah Hobart. Carolina increased the lead to 2-0 at 33:10 with Melissa Huston’s first goal of the year. Becca Epstein’s corner kick went through the box and found Lentz, who tapped at the ball and found Hutson, who knocked a header past Hobart as Carolina built a two-goal lead.
Davidson responded at 37:46 to cut the lead to one goal as Kara Koehrn took advantage of a Gamecock misplay and scored from in the box past Carolina goalkeeper Elise Matthews. The Gamecocks would put one more goal on the board before half though, as sophomore Stacey Zelek rocketed a cross from Ashley Williams to the back of the net for her first career goal at Carolina.
USC would score one goal in the second half to increase the lead to 4-1 as sophomore Jackie Welch scored her first career goal at Carolina. Amanda Thurber’s cross into the box found an open Jackie Welch. Welch cut through the defense and knocked a shot to the right corner from 10 yards out to seal the victory for the Gamecocks.
Carolina finished the night with a 20-2 shot advantage. Lentz finished with two assists on the night and Elise Matthews had one save in goal for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina returns home on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to face N.C. State at Stone Stadium. Fans who bring their UAB football ticket can get into the game for $1.00. The Carolina men’s squad will face Appalachian State at 4 p.m. following the women’s match.
