Vanderbilt/Kentucky Notes
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Oct. 6, 2005
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team returns to action hosting Vanderbilt and Kentucky at Stone Stadium this weekend. Friday night’s match with the Commodores is set for 7 p.m. with Sunday’s match scheduled for 2 p.m.
“We talk about it every weekend, anyone can beat anyone in this conference and I think it’s a lot tougher to be on the road in the SEC,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “We have to take advantage of that. We’ve played well at home this year and we have to make sure we are ready to play both games.”
Carolina enters the weekend 5-6 and 1-3 in the SEC. The Commodores come to Columbia riding an 11-game winning streak and are 11-1 and 4-0 in the SEC. Vanderbilt is also ranked 18th in the nation in this week’s Soccer Buzz Poll. Kentucky is 5-1-6 with a 1-1-2 conference record.
“Vanderbilt is on a roll and they’re a very good quality team,” said Smith. “We’re excited for the challenge, the fact they have done well, it makes it that much more exciting for us to try and beat an opponent that would give us a quality win. Kentucky has an unusual amount of ties and we know it is going to be a battle as well.”
SCOUTING THE COMMODORES
Vanderbilt heads into Friday night’s matchup, one of the hottest teams in the nation with an 11-game winning streak. After starting off the season with a 2-1 loss at Colorado on August 26, the Commodores have not lost and recorded 10 shutouts in 11 of those victories including all four SEC games.
“Vanderbilt is just a solid team,” said Smith. “They have added some new players to their team that have really helped them. They have good depth up top in their attack. There is no real weakness in their team. They play together well and because of that they have been able to get results.”
Senior forward Kelci Hegg leads the team in the attack with five goals and three assists for 13 points. Freshman forward Jessica Lenze and sophomore forward Sarah Dennis also have five goals on the year apiece. Junior goalkeeper Tyler Griffin is the leading keeper in the SEC with a 0.26 goals against average and eight shutouts to her credit.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE COMMODORES
This is the 12th meeting between South Carolina and Vanderbilt with the Commodores leading the series 9-1-1. The teams played to a 1-1 tie last year in Nashville. USC’s Kimmy Gillespie scored her first career goal in the match.
South Carolina’s last defeated Vanderbilt 1-0 on Sept. 10, 1999 at Stone Stadium. Vanderbilt has earned 1-0 wins over the Gamecocks the last two times they have met in Columbia.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Kentucky comes into the week with a 5-1-6 record and suffered their first defeat of the season this past Sunday in a 1-0 loss at Auburn. The Wildcats have a 1-1-2 mark in the SEC and are coached by former Gamecock All-American, Warren Lipka, who was former National Goalkeeper of the Year for the men’s team.
“Kentucky is more of a direct team,” said Coach Smith. “It’s going to be a battle on both ends. They always compete hard and are pretty tough physically. Our midfield is going to be crucial for us to try and control the game and play our style. When you are playing against Kentucky, you have to match the battle wherever it is on the field and also control the game and move the ball.”
Senior forward Courtney McCrudden is the team points leader with 13 on the year off of four goals and five assists. Sophomore midfielder Sarah Gaunt is the leading scorer with five goals. Junior goalkeeper Anne Ogundele has started all 12 matches in between he posts and owns a 0.76 goals against average.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WILDCATS
Kentucky leads the series history with an 8-2 edge, although the Gamecocks have come on as of late with two wins in the last three matches played. Kentucky won last year’s contest 1-0 in Lexington.
ONE-GOAL MATCHES
South Carolina has already provided its fans with some tense moments into the season as the Gamecocks enter the weekend having already played seven matches decided by one goal including six of the last eight contests. That ties for second most in the conference.
“The games we have lost for the most part are one-goal games,” said Smith. “We are in the match the whole time. That’s the way it goes. We give a lot of credit to our defense for not giving up many goals but we have to make sure we are scoring more goals. That’s been a battle, when we can’t find the net, it’s letting one in. We need to take advantage of our early opportunities and that sets the tone of a match at times.”
USC is 2-5 in one-goal matches last earning a victory in the 2-1 win over Miami.
CLOSING IN ON THE GAMECOCK CAREER SCORING LIST
USC junior forward Jessi Swaim is closing in on the top 15 career scoring list at South Carolina. With her goal last Sunday vs. Tennessee, Swaim is just one point shy of the Gamecock Career Scoring List. Swaim has 22 points in her three seasons at Carolina with six goals and 10 assists. That is one point shy of Mandy Pavlovits, who is 15th with 23 points.
Swaim leads the team in scoring this year with nine points off of three goals and three assists.
