Sept. 26, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C.– Coming off of their first loss of the season, the Gamecocks will look to rebound this this weekend as they open the home portion of their SEC schedule with Auburn on Friday night at 7 p.m., and follow that up on Sunday with Arkansas at 1 p.m.
WEEKEND INFORMATION
Date/Opponent: Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 vs. Auburn
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
| Free Live Video
Date/Opponent: Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 vs. Arkansas
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
| Free Live Video
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Stadium: Stone StadiumTickets: Tickets
@GamecockWSoccer | Gamecock Women’s Soccer on Facebook
On the Horizon
Following this weekend’s pair of games at home, the Gamecocks will hit the road next week as they head to No. 7 Florida on Friday before traveling to Tennessee for a Sunday afternoon match which will be televised on ESPNU.
Scouting Auburn
The Tigers come to Columbia with a 4-4-1 record, playing only two of their nine games on the road so far this season and being outscored 5-1 in those matches. Auburn was defeated by Kentucky last Friday in its SEC opener, 1-0, before rebounding Sunday with a 6-0 win over Southern Mississippi.
Casie Ramsier leads the Tiger attack with four goals this season, while Tori Ball and Chelsea Gandy-Cromer have eached chipped in three apiece. Ramsier (4G, 2A) and Ball (3G, 4A) lead the team in points with 10.
The Gamecocks hold a 7-6-3 record over Auburn all-time, but the Tigers claimed last year’s contest in Alabama with a 4-2 victory. South Carolina is 5-2 against Auburn since 2006, taking both of its losses on the road.
Scouting Arkansas
Arkansas opened the season with seven-straight wins and earned the program’s first Top 25 ranking before dropping its last two matches, a 2-1 double overtime loss at TCU and a 2-1 result in their SEC opener versus Ole Miss.
Ashleigh Ellenwood leads the Razorbacks in both goals (4), points (11) and is tied for the team lead in assists with three along with Evan Palmer and Allie Tripp. Palmer and Rachel Riggs are next on their goals list with three.
South Carolina owns a 10-3-2 record all-time against Arkansas and have not dropped a game to the Razorbacks since 2006. The two sides drew 1-1 last year during their regular-season matchup in Fayetteville, Ark. The Gamecocks advanced through the first round of the SEC Tournament after defeating the Razorbacks 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Stevi Parker.
National Attention
Following their first loss of the season, the Gamecocks slipped in the rankings this week, but still maintained a spot in each one of them. Currently the team is ranked No. 20 by SoccerAmerica, No. 22 by NSCAA, No. 21 by TopDrawerSoccer, No. 19 by SoccerTimes and No. 23 by OurGameMagazine. In the first week of the RPI, South Carolina is the second-highest ranked team in the SEC, sitting comfortably at No. 15.
Defensive Wall
As we move to halfway point of the season, the Garnet and Black’s backline has proved to be one of the best in the country, whether it has been with their physical play, potential goal-saving blocks, the group has allowed only one goal on 75 shots through nine games. As a team, Carolina is tied for third in shutouts (7), tied for fourth in shutout percentage (.778), eighth in goals against average (.122) and tied for ninth in save percentage (.900) in the NCAA.
Canadian Stopper
After a tough sophomore season after returning from the U-20 World Cup, junior goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo is back at her best this season as she currently ranks as one of the top keepers in the nation. The native of Welland, Ontario, is tied for third in the nation in shutouts with seven, while she is also seventh in goals against average (.325) and tied for 16th in save percentage (.897).
D’Angelo’s seven shutouts has already topped her season-best total. She passed her previous best of four against SMU after stopping a potential game-tying penalty kick in the 66th minute. With 14 shutouts in her career, she is one away from being tied for second all-time in South Carolina history.
Streaks
South Carolina’s eight-game unbeaten streak to start the season was tied for the school’s second-longest undefeated streak in program history. The 2003 team went 6-0-2 during a midseason stretch which included a 0-0 draw with No. 14 Auburn. In 2008, the Gamecocks opened the season 6-0-2 which included a 3-3 draw with No. 7 Florida State. The longest streak at Carolina is held by the 2009 squad which stands at 14 games, only one of which was a draw, a 1-1 result at Mississippi State in the 12th game.
