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Aug. 30, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team (0-2) hosts its home opener on Thursday, Aug. 31 vs. Francis Marion (0-2) with kickoff set for 7 pm ET. Live gametracker stats as well as live audio broadcast with Matt Younginer is available at uscsports.com. This Thursday’s match is the first of a three-game homestand for the Gamecocks. USC will also host James Madison on Sunday, Sept. 3 (1 pm) and The Citadel on Tuesday, Sept. 5 as part of a doubleheader with the USC men’s squad.
FROM HEAD COACH Shelley Smith
(Reviewing last weekend’s games vs. Illinois and Iowa)
“We played extremely well and went in and competed against two good teams. Both of our opponents did a very good job to finish the opportunities they had. We have to learn from that. We had better opportunities and majority of play we controlled, but the ball didn’t go our way. It just didn’t happen for us this past weekend and unfortunately that is the nature of our sport sometimes, our players have to realize the chances that are given we have to take advantage of. No matter what point of the game it comes, if it is the last 10 minutes or first 10 minutes, we have to find a way to put it into the net.”
(On the team’s response in practice this week)
“I’m extremely pleased with our team’s attitude. The players have kept their heads up. We all are disappointed with the results, but they know, as well as anyone, that we are a very good team. We have a lot to prove. We started off with disappointing results but there is a long season ahead of us. We are going to win games. With a couple of adjustments, things will fall our way. We also have great leadership, they know that there are disappointments but we will bounce back.”
(On returning home)
“We play very well at home. We know the field, have our fans and are on more of a routine. There is always an advantage of playing at home. It’s nice to return home after doing as doing well, as far as our performance on the road. In the last two games we went from Friday, sorted some things out, did what we said we needed to do, except get the goal. If we continue that performance into this Thursday and Sunday, the goals will come.”
(On Blakely Mattern and Kimmy Gillespie named to All-Tournament team)
“They had a great weekend. They really stifled our opponents, limiting their chances on the offensive end. That started with Kimmy and Blakely stepping up and stopping play at midfield most of the time before they could start an attack against us. Being their first game together, Kimmy’s first time as a center back, they adjusted very well and did what was asked and what we worked on. The other person to mention is (midfielder) Ashley Kirk, she played every minute this past weekend and led the team and did a tremendous job in front of them to win balls off the center backs.”
(On the performances of newcomers this past weekend)
“I think we got through the nerves of the first game. It showed a little bit, they were a little timid, didn’t want to make mistakes. Once they got through that first game, the second game was better for all of them. They were a little more confident. They were out there and they can help us right away. It will get better every game. Shannon Bigbie has been a great surprise for us already. We have played her in several positions and she adds to our depth in the back and midfield.”
WEEKLY NOTES
HOME SWEET HOME
Carolina has proven to be a tough team to beat at the Graveyard with a 26-15-3 record (.625) at Stone Stadium under head coach Shelley Smith. Those 26 victories include a 19-2 (.905) mark against non-conference teams. USC has not lost to a non-conference opponent at home in over two seasons.
FOR STARTERS
South Carolina is 6-5-1 in season opening matches following the 2006 opener vs. Illinois. The Gamecocks had won two straight openers before this past Friday’s loss to the Fighting Illini. Head coach Shelley Smith is now 3-2-1 in openers in her career at Carolina. It is only the second time under Coach Smith that USC has started off with a pair of losses.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
South Carolina has been very successful over the last six seasons when scoring two goals or more. Carolina has compiled a 34-6-1 record when tallying at least two goals in a match, including a 6-0 mark last season (2005).
TOUGH WEEKEND AT TIGER INVITATIONAL
South Carolina women’s soccer struggled in the opening weekend of the 2006 season dropping a pair of 1-0 matches to 13th ranked Illinois and Iowa at the Tiger Invitational on the campus of the University of Missouri. Despite the losses, Carolina gave a solid effort on the offensive side tallying 33 shots in two matches. Goalkeeper Laura Armstrong started both matches and had four saves in goal.
THE UPSTATE BACKFIELD
The central back lineup of junior Kimmy Gillespie and freshman Blakely Mattern is off to a strong start with both players earning All-Tournament honors this past weekend at that Tiger Invitational. Despite both players making their first career starts on the backline for USC, they were able to earn early accolades for their defensive play against Illinois and Iowa.
Kimmy Gillespie is in her junior season at Carolina. The native of Simpsonville, S.C. played her first two years in the midfield before moving to the back for the garnet and black. Ironically, Gillespie’s teammate, Mattern, is also from the upstate and the Greenville area and a product of JL Mann HS. Along with goalkeeper Laura Armstrong from Greenwood, S.C., the USC back features three players from the upstate area.
Gillespie was named to last year’s SEC Good Works Team for her service in the community. She has played in 34 matches with 30 starts in her career at Carolina.
NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMPACT
South Carolina had several fresh faces in the mix on the opening weekend with several newcomers seeing action for the first time in the garnet and black. Freshman forward Samantha Diaz-Matosas and freshman defender Blakely Mattern started both matches this past weekend with midfielders Leah Loguidice and Kim Miller also making starts on Sunday vs. Iowa as well. Also seeing action in both matches was defender Shannon Bigbie.
ON TAP
South Carolina is currently in the middle of a three-game homestand. Following this Thursday’s match vs. Francis Marion, the Gamecocks will host James Madison on Sunday afternoon with kickoff set for 1 pm followed by a match on Tuesday, Sept. 5 vs. The Citadel at 5 pm. Tuesday’s match is part of a doubleheader with the men’s squad. Live gametracker stats as well as live audio are available at uscsports.com.
