Oct. 7, 2013

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Redshirt junior Taylor Leach was named Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week today.

Leach anchored a Gamecock defense that allowed just one goal in wins at eighth-ranked Florida and at Tennessee. She scored the second goal of her career in game-winning fashion against Florida, scoring on a header from a corner kick in the 109th minute.

The center back played a crucial role in both weekend matchups as she was the primary marker for one of the top scorers in the country in Florida freshman Savannah Jordan while also drawing the assignment of shutting down Tennessee’s New Zealand national team player Hannah Wilkinson two days later.

With the win at Florida, South Carolina became the first school in SEC history to win consecutive games in Gainesville, Fla., after defeating the Gators 2-1 in regulation two seasons ago. It was also Florida’s first overtime loss since the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Coupled with a 1-0 win versus then-No. 7 Duke on Aug. 25, the squad became the first team in program history to defeat two Top 10 opponents in a season.