Dec. 6, 2011
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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s soccer is ranked No. 25 in the final poll of the 2011 season, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday. The Gamecocks are the only SEC representative in the final national poll of the season.
The SEC Champions are ranked in the final poll for the third consecutive season after finishing ninth in 2009 and 24th in 2010.
The Gamecocks (16-7-0) won the first SEC regular season and Eastern Division titles in school history this season with a program-best 9-2-0 league record. Head Coach Shelley Smith – who was named the NSCAA South Region Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year – led the Gamecocks to a program-record eight-match SEC winning streak to win the titles. The Gamecocks advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and advanced past the first round for the third straight year.
The 2011 season saw records break on the field as well with senior Kayla Grimsley, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, setting the South Carolina program record for career points after a 10-goal, 10-assist campaign that moved her to career marks of 43 goals and 33 assists for 119 points. She finished the season eighth on the NCAA active list for career points and was the only active player in the NCAA with 40 goals and 30 assists in her career.
Freshman Sabrina D’Angelo was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year after solidifying herself as the goalkeeper of the year in the SEC as a freshman. D’Angelo was the first player in SEC history to earn two Player of the Year honors in the same season, and she was the only freshman named to the First Team All-SEC list. She finished the season fifth among the nation’s freshmen in goals against average (0.80) and 10th in save percentage (.824). D’Angelo was the SEC’s leader in goals against average and set the South Carolina freshman records for goals against average, save percentage, wins, matches played and matches started.
