Sept. 17, 2006
Columbia, S.C. – In a battle between two sets of Gamecocks, the USC women’s soccer team scored four first half goals on its way to a 6-0 win over Jacksonville State on Sunday afternoon at Stone Stadium. The match was Carolina’s final non-conference test of the year improving the squad’s record to 6-3 while the loss drops JSU to 1-7 this season. Sophomore forward Mary Worthen scored two goals with junior midfielder Ashley Kirk adding a goal and assist as USC earned a third consecutive shutout.
“Our team did a great job to come out and score early goals,” said USC head coach Shelley Smith. “We finished some chances and played hard throughout the game. That’s what we asked them to do. Our players have faced every opponent the same. That was a good test for us to come back after the type of match we played on Friday night (against Clemson). They came back and performed well.”
Carolina would go ahead in the 15th minute of play as sophomore forward Felicia Schroeder scored her team-leading fourth goal of the year. A cross into the box by Courtney Cobbs was played in by Samantha Diaz-Matosas and Schroeder was able to get her foot on it from almost 10 yards out to put USC ahead 1-0.
Almost three minutes later that lead would increase to 2-0 as Carolina connected on the team’s first penalty kick of the season. Schroeder was fouled in the box by a JSU defender resulting in the kick, which was taken by Ashley Kirk, who drilled a goal past JSU keeper Kate Kelly.
With a 2-0 lead, Carolina would score two more times in the first half with Mary Worthen tallying her first two goals of the year. Her first goal would come off a cross by Courtney Cobbs, with Worthen handling a ball just inside the six-yard box before punching the shot home at 35:06. Over a minute later Worthen would score the second time, this time off a corner kick by Kirk that was also assisted by Blakely Mattern.
South Carolina would add two goals in the second half of play as Coach Smith was able to give players on her bench a chance to play and contribute. Senior defender Erin Geldhof would tally South Carolina’s fifth goal of the match at 47:59 as she launched a shot from around 25 yards out that went above the new JSU goalkeeper Elizabeth Selasky for a USC score. The final Gamecock goal at 77:13 would be scored by Kelly Gosnell, the first USC career goal for the freshman from James Island, S.C. Gosnell, the younger sister of former Carolina letterwinner Ashley Gosnell, would connect off a corner kick pass from Kim Boulos, with a rocket from 10 yards out that found the back of the net.
Goalkeepers Laura Armstrong and Lindsay Thorstenson split time in goal with each playing 45 minutes apiece. Carolina had a 28-0 shot advantage in the match, the second time this year that USC has not allowed an opponent a shot on goal. All total, Carolina would finish the match with 22 players making it on to the field.
“That was the great thing for us, going into the SEC season,” said Smith. “It gave us a chance to get people in, try some at different positions and see what we could do. We got some of the freshmen in and anytime we can get them in, it is valuable experience.”
Carolina ends its non-conference slate riding a three-game winning streak into the SEC season. South Carolina has now compiled a 24-2 (.923) record at home in non-conference games over the past six years under head coach Shelley Smith. That record includes a 17-game win streak dating back to September 5, 2003.
The SEC season will begin on the road for the South Carolina Gamecocks as USC heads to Alabama for the conference opener on Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 pm ET. That match will be followed up with a tilt on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 3 pm ET at Auburn.
