Oct. 11, 2010

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By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior forward Kayla Grimsley has been named the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week after her four-goal performance on the road this week, the organization announced Monday.

A MAC Hermann Trophy Award candidate, Grimsley had her strongest career SEC weekend with two goals in each of Carolina’s road victories (Auburn, Alabama) to propel South Carolina to the top of the SEC ladder. Grimsley scored Carolina’s first two goals against Auburn with strong finishes in the ’18 before performing one of the most difficult feats in soccer by knocking in two penalty kicks against Alabama, giving the junior two game-winning goals on the weekend. Grimsley’s weekend (four goals for eight points) pushes her into the SEC lead in all four offensive categories of goals (9), assists (9), points (27) and game-winning goals (4). She now holds the South Carolina junior records for points and game-winning goals, having already set the junior record for assists earlier in the year.

She is the third Gamecock to earn a National Player of the Week honor in the last four seasons. Former goalkeeper Lindsay Thorstenson picked up the honor in the season opening weekend of the 2007 season, and former defender Blakely Mattern picked up the honor last year after also posting a career weekend in games against Auburn and Alabama.

South Carolina returns home next weekend with games against SEC East rivals Georgia and Tennessee. The Gamecocks and Bulldogs will play Friday night at 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium. The team will then play Tennessee at 3 p.m. in a game nationally televised by ESPNU.