Oct. 2, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team (6-5-1, 0-2-1 SEC) returns to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. as the Gamecocks host defending SEC champion No. 19 Tennessee (6-2-2, 3-0 SEC) at Stone Stadium. The USC men’s team will host Gardner Webb at 4 p.m. following USC-Lady Vols match. All kids 13 and under will receive free admission. Live Gametracker stats as well as a live audio broadcast will be available at www.uscsports.com.
USC enters Sunday afternoon’s match fresh off a 1-1 tie vs. Georgia on Friday evening. The Lady Vols come to Columbia following a 2-1 overtime victory at Florida on Friday night. Tennessee is in first place in the SEC and the only team in the conference yet to suffer a defeat or tie.
Friday night’s overtime match for Carolina vs. Georgia was the third of the season for USC and the first tie of the year as well. Carolina is now 1-1-1 in overtime matches. Jackie Welch converted her second penalty kick of the year for USC’s lone goal of the night.
Carolina suffered two defeats to the Lady Vols last season, both tight matches decided by one goal. Tennessee defeated Carolina 3-2 in Konxville and also 1-0 in Orange Beach, Ala. in the SEC Tournament. South Carolina and Tennessee played to a 1-1 tie in 2002, the last meeting between the schools in Columbia, S.C.
Looking back at last year’s regular season matchup, South Carolina stormed back from a 2-0 deficit in Knoxville to tie the match at 2-2 in the second half of play. Jessi Swaim scored her first career goal as M.A. Foster flicked a long serve from Sarah Lentz to an open Swaim in front of the goal, who knocked a shot past Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart. Carolina then tied the match at 83:17 as Foster scored with Sarah Lentz again involved as she served a long ball that found Foster who knocked the goal in from the right doorstep. Tennessee however would score the game-winning goal at 85:03 as a failed clear on a corner kick led to Sue Flamini’s goal to the right corner post.
At the SEC Tournament, Ali Cristoph scored off a penalty kick at 64:25, enough to lift the Lady Vols to a 1-0 win. Tennessee’s penalty kick came off a counter attack as Lyndsey Patterson raced into the box on a run off a long feed from Keeley Dowling. As Patterson and Carolina defender Alison Jarrow battled for the ball, a foul was called on Jarrow resulting in the penalty kick for the Lady Volunteers. Cristoph knocked the penalty kick in for a goal to the right side of the net.
