Oct. 19, 2008
AUBURN, ALA. – The South Carolina women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision Sunday at Auburn in SEC play at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Katy Frierson scored both goals for the Tigers as Auburn won its fourth consecutive SEC Sunday match.
The loss drops South Carolina to 10-4-3 (4-3-1 SEC) while Auburn improves to 8-7-2 (4-3-1 SEC). The game marked just the fourth time this season that the Gamecocks have allowed two goals, and it is the first time this year that South Carolina has dropped a game by more than one goal. Carolina had not dropped back-to-back games since falling at Tennessee and Georgia last season from Sept. 26-28.
South Carolina had the first play develop on goal in the 20th minute as Kayla Grimsley sailed a cross from the right flank over Auburn keeper Allison Whitworth’s head, but the ball was too high for a leaping Shannon Bigbie on an open goal.
Auburn took the 1-0 lead at 26:14 when Frierson one-touched a ball from inside the 6′ after a long cross from Gabi Rivera from the left flank. The Gamecocks came close to knotting the game up three minutes later as Brooke Jacobs sent a cross that just missed the feet of Bigbie.
The Tigers were given two chances at scoring in the 36th minute following a Carolina foul 25 yards out. Jenni Prescott sent the first free kick attempt into the box but the play was whistled dead due to a quick start. The second attempt found the hands of Mollie Patton to end the Tiger threat.
The Gamecocks ended the first half with a 5-3 edge in shots. Both teams registered three shots on frame and three corner kicks.
Carolina came out in the second half aggressively with Jacobs getting a shot on goal 60 seconds into the frame. Danila Monteiro took a strike in the 52nd minute that was nicely saved by Whitworth on Carolina’s second shot of the half.
Auburn had a strong chance in the 65th minute for the second goal of the game as Kara Kasten made a run down the right flank before her shot was stopped short of the net by Samantha Diaz-Matosas on the near post. The Gamecocks used the momentum of the save and nearly tied the match on the other side of the field as Blakely Mattern tied up with the Tiger keeper 10 yards out. However, the Gamecocks were not able to get a shot off. Two minutes later Kira Campbell and Kim Miller connected to create a chance for Brittiny Rhoades, but Rhoades was called offsides on the final pass.
The Tigers scored their second goal of the match at 80:28 following a South Carolina foul 20 yards out. Frierson took the free kick and placed it into the upper right corner of the net for the 2-0 lead.
Auburn out-shot the Gamecocks 12-10 in the match and held a 7-5 advantage in corner kicks. Mollie Patton recorded four saves for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina returns home Thursday night in a 7 p.m. game against the LSU Tigers. LSU currently sits at the top of the SEC Western Division standings with a 6-2-0 record in conference play. LSU (12-2-0) defeated Kentucky 2-1 Sunday in Baton Rouge.
