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Oct. 19, 2006

Columbia, S.C. – As the SEC regular season begins to wind down, the South Carolina women’s soccer team concludes a three-game homestand on Friday, Oct. 20 against LSU. Kickoff at Stone Stadium is set for 7 pm. With three matches remaining in the regular season, USC heads into the weekend 10-5-2 and 4-2-2 in the SEC, a three-way tie for second place in the conference. LSU”s record entering the weekend is 8-7-2 and 3-3-2. South Carolina will also travel to Arkansas for a conference match on Sunday, Oct. 22. That match is scheduled for 2 pm ET (1 pm CT).

The South Carolina women’s soccer program will honor the memory of Ashley Dent on Friday, Oct. 20 at halftime of the USC-LSU match. Dent died on August 16 from injuries sustained in a car collision. Dent was a soccer participant at the varsity high school and elite club levels. In Dent’s memory, South Carolina will donate a portion of the gate proceeds to “Make A Wish Foundation.”

All individuals 18 and under will receive $1 admission. Tickets for adults are $5. Local youth soccer participants are encouraged to wear their jerseys to the game.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD COACH Shelley Smith

On the three remaining matches in SEC regular season
“The task is to try and focus on each game. We all know what is on the line. You are battling to get into the SEC Tournament, hoping to get a postseason bid. Everything is there for us but we have to take care of business in each game. The fact that this conference is so competitive this year and there are so many teams trying to find their way to the SEC’s, we have to make sure we continue to play. We’ve done very well up to this point but we can’t rely on our past results. We have to make sure we keep going forward and learn from our previous matches; what we’ve done well, what we haven’t done well and take that into our final three. It would be a shame to not play up to our potential at this point because of all we have done. But you’re facing three, top quality opponents. You can never relax; you can never take it easy. You have to be at the top of your game every single match. That’s what our team knows from this season, the games we have not showed up for, we have been handed a loss. We know we have to play and if we play well we should get some good results.”

On the home/away weekend vs. LSU and at Arkansas
“I think the good thing is that we do have a home game first. We can prepare for the home match and then worry about the road match. I think it is harder to play the road match first, whereas we only have to travel once to play a match. I think we have to take advantage of that and really try to get the results we can at home and on the road.”

On the success at home this season
“Confidence is a huge issue when it comes to any team performing and doing well week to week. I think we have had that much more confidence at home. What our team has to learn is that we are the same team on the road and we just have to take it with us. We’ve had some very good results here (Columbia) this year and our players do have a sense of pride on the home field.

HOME SWEET HOME
Carolina has proven to be a tough team to beat at the Graveyard with a 33-16-5 record (.657) at Stone Stadium under head coach Shelley Smith. South Carolina is the only SEC team to be undefeated at home this year as with a 7-0-2 mark in Columbia. The seven wins at home are two short of the school record nine that was set in the 1999 season.

Coach Smith’s record at home includes a 24-2 (.923) mark against non-conference teams. USC has won 17 straight home contests vs. non-conference teams dating back to beginning of 2003.

DYNAMIC DEFENSE
South Carolina’s defense this season has been among the best in school history as the Gamecocks have limited opponents to just 10 goals over the course of the season. The nine team shutouts compiled by the Gamecocks ties a school record for the most by USC in a single-season. The 2002 squad also put together nine shutouts.

South Carolina has allowed more than one goal only once in a match this year as well. The team’s overall goals against average of 0.573 is second best in the conference and 22nd in the nation. Laura Armstrong’s individual GAA of 0.564 is 24th best in the country.

TOP DRAWER SOCCER RECOGNIZES GAMECOCKS IN LATEST NCAA PROJECTIONS
The Top Drawer Soccer publication has recognized South Carolina in its updated 2006 Women’s College Soccer Tournament projections released on October 16. The publication lists Carolina as one of six SEC teams earning a berth into the NCAA Tournament. USC is projected as team No. 44. The other SEC teams to be recognized include Florida (No. 10), Ole Miss (No. 17), Tennessee (No. 20), Vanderbilt (No. 21) and Auburn (No. 47).

ONE
It certainly has been tight for South Carolina in many matches this year as USC is currently tied for second in the SEC among schools who have played one-goal matches this year. Both the Gamecocks and Tennessee have each played in 10 one-goal matches. South Carolina is 6-4 this season in those matches played including a 4-0 mark at home. Kentucky leads the conference with 11 one-goal matches on the year.

Along with 10 one-goal matches, the Gamecocks have also played two overtime contests with both games ending in draws.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
South Carolina has been very successful over the last six seasons when scoring two goals or more. Carolina has compiled a 40-6-1 record when tallying at least two goals in a match, including a 6-0 mark last season. USC is 6-0 this year scoring two or more goals.

SC-LSU HISTORY
DATE RESULT
9-22-95 (Columbia) L, 0-1
9-28-97 (Baton Rouge) W, 3-1
9-26-99 (Columbia) W, 8-1
10-14-01 (Baton Rouge) T, 4-4 (OT)
10-13-02 (Columbia) W, 2-0
10-24-04 (Columbia) W, 2-1
10-23-05 (Baton Rouge) W, 3-0

SERIES HISTORY SC leads 5-1-1

COACH SMITH SC leads 3-0-1

IN COLUMBIA SC leads 3-1

IN BATON ROUGE SC leads 2-0-1