Sept. 11, 2009
CLEMSON, S.C. – South Carolina scored three first half goals en route to a 5-0 win at Clemson, the first win for the Gamecocks ever at Historic Riggs Field after seven previous games between the two rivals since 1995. The win improves the Gamecocks to 5-0 on the year and ends a streak of 1-0 victories for the home team that spanned the last six seasons in the rivalry.
Senior Shannon Bigbie scored in the fourth minute to put South Carolina up 1-0. Assisted by Brooke Jacobs and Kim Miller, Bigbie’s goal was the first ever scored by South Carolina against Clemson at Riggs Field after the Gamecocks were shutout in the previous seven games at Clemson.
Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award candidate Blakely Mattern scored for the second consecutive game to put the Gamecocks up 2-0 on a header at 35:33 with Miller earning her second assist of the night. Eighty seconds later, Jacobs made the score 3-0 with an assist from Christine Watts to round out the Gamecock scoring in the first half.
Sophomore Kayla Grimsley notched her team-leading fourth goal of the year at 65:49 with a flashy display of footwork to put the Gamecocks up 4-0, the most goals the team has ever scored against the Tigers. She moves to 31 points in her career, tied for 10th in the South Carolina history books as just a sophomore.
Mattern scored her second goal of the night at 71:35 with another header to push the Gamecock lead to 5-0. Her first header hit the middle of the crossbar and landed right back at her for the easy goal.
The double assists mark the second consecutive game that Miller earned two assists as the senior earned the final two in last Sunday’s win at Cincinnati before earning the first two against Clemson, marking four straight goals that she recorded the assist for the Gamecocks. She and Grimsley have both scored a point in every game this season and are tied for the team lead with nine points.
Junior goalkeeper Mollie Patton improved her season opening shutout streak to 450:00 and had six saves as she earned her fifth consecutive shutout to start the year. Patton’s five shutouts are tied for the national lead.
South Carolina returns to action in the Carolina’s Cup Sunday at 12 p.m. when the team takes on UNC Wilmington for the Carolina’s Cup title. The Seahawks (3-2) defeated previously unbeaten Furman 1-0 in Friday’s early game.
