Oct. 23, 2010

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By Miquel Jacobs
Media Relations Assistant

South Carolina vs LSU | Sunday, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

| Game Notes | Road To Orange Beach

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 18 South Carolina returns home as the SEC leader with two games remaining, beginning with Sunday’s 1 p.m. fixture against LSU that will be televised live on ESPNU. The game is South Carolina’s “Kick for the Cure Pink Game” for breast cancer awareness.

Gamecock and all soccer fans are encouraged to attend South Carolina’s next two home matches (Sunday vs LSU at 1pm, Friday vs Florida at 7pm). Sunday marks Carolina’s “Kick for the Cure” game with all fans encouraged to wear pink to help raise awareness about breast cancer. The Gamecocks will wear pink socks and laces for the cause.

Next Friday’s season finale against Florida will be a special game for the Gamecock family. The women’s soccer team will pay tribute to the Jill Darr Rowell family and foundation. Jill Darr Rowell was a women’s golf student-athlete at South Carolina (1992-95) who lost a 10-month battle with AML (leukemia) on April 18, 2010. The mother of two young children, Jill and her husband Richard Rowell were avid men’s and women’s soccer fans with Richard working with both soccer programs from 1994-2005. All Gamecock fans are encouraged to attend Friday’s match to help the women’s soccer team pay tribute to Jill Darr Rowell. For more information about Jill Darr Rowell, CLICK HERE

THE NATION’S STINGIEST DEFENSE?
South Carolina’s backline has now limited 10 consecutive opponents to four shots on goal or less, a streak that includes six road games, four home games and all SEC competition. All 10 teams were also limited to 10 total shots or less with the streak dating back to the road victory at then-No. 22 Wake Forest in the non-conference finale.

ON THE HORIZON
South Carolina hosts Florida Friday night at 7 p.m. in a game that will determine the SEC Regular Season and East Division champion. Entering Sunday’s games, three teams (South Carolina, Florida, Georgia) can win the SEC title, but everything will depend on the SC-UF final score regardless of Sunday’s results. Friday’s match will be televised live on SUN Sports.

SCOUTING LSU
LSU enters Sunday as the SEC West leader at 3-3-0 in conference action. The Tigers have gone 0-3-1 against ranked opponents this season, recently falling 2-0 against Florida. LSU is led offensively by junior transfer Natalie Martineau’s five goals and one assist for 11 points. Highly touted freshman Megan Kinneman sports a 0.74 goals against average with four shutouts and 38 saves since taking over starting goalkeeper duties.

SC-LSU SERIES
Sunday marks the third consecutive meeting between South Carolina and LSU airing on ESPNU. The Tigers won a 1-0 match in Baton Rouge last year when SC’s Ellen Fahey left the match with a red card. Carolina returned the favor in the SEC Tournament by defeating the Tigers 8-7 in penalty kicks of the SEC Championship Game after a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes.

JACOBS QUESTIONABLE
South Carolina senior forward Brooke Jacobs is questionable with a hamstring injury suffered against Alabama. The senior missed sat out of the Georgia and Arkansas games while playing only the opening 10 minutes against Tennessee last Sunday. In three games South Carolina has played without Jacobs since the 2008 season – a span of 64 total games played, the Gamecocks have gone 1-2 with losses coming against Western Carolina (2008) and Georgia (2010) along with the 3-1 victory at Arkansas Thursday night. Lolly Holland earned the start in her place against Arkansas.

SUNDAY MADNESS
South Carolina has performed at a perfect level on Sunday afternoon matches, traditionally the toughest day of the week after playing a Friday game. The Gamecocks, 8-0-1 in Sunday matches this year, have outscored opponents 24-4 on Sundays with the lone blemishes coming in a 1-1 tie against Arizona State, a 5-1 win at Kentucky and a 2-1 win at Alabama. Carolina has scored 16 goals in SEC Sunday matches this year. For the record, that means 24 of Carolina’s 37 goals have come on Sundays.

THE 10-10-30 CLUB
Junior Kayla Grimsley is one assist shy of becoming the first Gamecock to join the 10-10-30 club. Grimsley has 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points this season, numbers that pushes her to the top of the SEC list in goals, assists, points and game winning goals (5). In just her third season, Grimsley is already No. 2 in the South Carolina record books for career goals (32), assists (22) and points (86).

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
For the fourth consecutive year Shelley Smith’s 2009 squad exceeded preseason expectations by finishing strong in SEC play. Picked by the coaches to finish last in 2006, the Gamecocks earned fifth in the Eastern division. Picked to finish last in the East in the 2007 SEC Preseason poll, the Gamecocks tied a program record for wins en route to a fourth place division finish. Carolina was picked fourth in the 2008 preseason poll and again improved in the standings with a third place finish in the Eastern division. Coach Smith’s team was again picked fourth in 2009 and responded with an SEC East runner-up finish that earned her SEC Coach of the Year honors.