Oct. 23, 2011

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director

COLUMBIA, S.C. – It was a day of records at Stone Stadium on Senior Day, highlighted by senior Kayla Grimsley setting the South Carolina career points record, as the Gamecocks defeated Arkansas, 3-1, Sunday to stay atop the SEC ladder with one match remaining.

The Gamecocks won their seventh consecutive SEC match to improve to 14-5-0 (8-2-0 SEC) while Arkansas falls to 4-13-0 (3-6-0 SEC). The seven-match SEC winning streak is a program record for consecutive conference victories, and the eight conference wins on the season ties the program record set in last seasons 8-2-1 campaign. In South Carolina’s current winning streak, the Gamecocks have outscored opponents 21-4 and have tallied at least three goals in six of those seven wins.

Grimsley had an assist on the game-winning goal and scored her ninth goal of the season in the 49th minute to break Jennie Ondo’s 12-year old record of 115 career points. Grimsley, the NCAA’s only active player with over 40 goals and 30 assists, now has 116 points off 42 goals and 32 assists.

Senior Kortney Rhoades opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a 1v1 opportunity with Arkansas goalkeeper Emily Lillard after classmate Lolly Holland played her a long ball over the backline. The Gamecocks took the 2-0 lead at 20:11 with a goal by sophomore Danielle Au that was assisted from a cross by Christa Neary that Grimsley headed across the goal to allow Au to finish with her own header. Grimsley had Carolina’s final tally at 48:56 after Rhoades played her a ball over the top of the backline for a breakaway goal.

“Just to get (the points record) alone is a great feeling and experience, but to do it in front of our fans in my last game at Stone Stadium is something that I’m really proud of,” Grimsley said. “Kortney’s been one of my best friends since she got here in the spring of our freshman year. She hit the milestone with me at Tennessee when I broke the assist record, and she hit the milestone with me today and it feels incredible.”

“Kayla has always been up for games here at Stone Stadium,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “She’s a performer. She loves to play for herself, her teammates and our fans. She always comes to play, and that makes her a great player. She knew today could be one of her last times playing here, and you want to go out on a note. Her senior year she’s been a true leader. Her assists and goals don’t surprise you anymore. It’s kind of an expectation.”

Arkansas spoiled the shutout attempt at 76:17 when Beth Stratton scored on a rebound attempt after Tyler Allen’s shot from distance clanged off the crossbar. Senior Roya Mojarab and freshman Sabrina D’Angelo combined to play in goal for the Gamecocks with Mojarab getting her first career start on Senior Day.

It was a Senior Day to remember for Carolina’s eight seniors as the class improves to 59-22-10 (.703) in their four seasons at South Carolina, matching the 2010 senior class for most wins in a four-year span.

“The camaraderie they share (has led to this senior class success),” Smith said. “They’re a close group. We’ve been very close as an entire team. They’ve done a good job to lead as a group of seniors and take the younger players in and show them what it takes to win games, to be successful and to never give up. I was really proud of their efforts as a group and what they’ve given to the program, not only the success they’ve shown on the field but their commitments to academics and all the things that are important for student-athletes to do.”

The Gamecock backline limited their sixth SEC opponent to four shots on goal or less after Arkansas was only able to get three attempts on frame. In 10 conference matches, South Carolina has yet to allow more than one goal in a game.

South Carolina travels to Gainesville, Fla., this Friday night for the regular season finale. The match between the Gamecocks and Gators will decide the SEC regular season champion with Carolina claiming the number one seed with a win, and Florida claiming the number one seed with a Gamecock loss. Should the two times play to a draw, it is possible that Georgia could claim the top seed due to tiebreakers if the Bulldogs win their final two matches of the season.

“They’ve worked so hard to get to the point that they can battle for a championships. They’ve come so close the last two years to come down to that last game, and we couldn’t be more excited going into Gainesville with that riding on the game. We just need to make sure we come to play our game. They have confidence. We’ve been on a great streak in the SEC, and we’ll take that into Gainesville.”

GOAL SUMMARY
4:40 – SC – Rhoades (Holland)
20:11 – SC – Au (Neary, Grimsley)
48:56 – SC – Grimsley (Rhoades)
76:17 – ARK – Stratton (Allen)