Sept. 9, 2004

Columbia, S.C. –
South Carolina women’s soccer (4-1) heads back on the road this weekend as the Gamecocks travel north to compete in the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic. Carolina will face a pair of ACC foes over the weekend with a Friday afternoon match vs. Maryland (1-1-1) at 4:30 p.m. and a Sunday match at 2:30 p.m. vs. No. 4 Virginia (4-0). South Carolina heads into the weekend on a three-game winning streak and will be playing both schools for the first time in USC history.

“We are going to face two of the toughest teams that we will see this season,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “It’s a great opportunity us to play against some of the top teams of the country who have played in the NCAA Tournament.”

After its first five games of the season, USC has found itself in the regional rankings from the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) and Soccer Buzz. The NSCAA has South Carolina ranked No. 7 in the Southeast with Soccer Buzz listing the Gamecocks at No. 10.

Two new Gamecocks have also found themselves amongst the SEC leaders. Freshman midfielder Ashley Kirk is tied for second in assists with three on the year and freshman goalkeeper Lindsay Thorstenson is fourth with a 0.67 goals against average. The Gamecocks lead the SEC as a team in corner kicks with 38 on the season and are tied for first with two shutouts.

Live Gametracker stats will be available at www.uscsports.com. Carolina returns home on Wednesday, Sept. 15 when the Gamecocks host Clemson at 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium.