Sept. 4, 2014
No. 9 South Carolina (4-0-0) and Clemson (4-0-0) battle each other on Friday night at Stone Stadium in a matchup of unbeaten rivals at 7 p.m. The Gamecocks will look to take their eighth win in the last 11 meetings between the two programs. On Sunday, South Carolina wraps up a five-game home stand against High Point (1-0-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m. Currently riding a program-best 14-game home win streak, the Gamecocks are chasing the longest home unbeaten streak in school history at 15 matches.
WEEKEND INFORMATION
Date/Opponent: Fri., Sept. 5 vs. RV Clemson
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Stadium: Stone Stadium
Tickets
SEC Network+ Live Stream
Promotions:Beat Clemson – Students AND fans receive a special Clemson giveaway. Students receive DOUBLE POINTS; Alumni Weekend – A special recognition at halftime of Gamecock women’s soccer alums.
Date/Opponent: Sun., Sept. 7 vs. High Point
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Stadium: Stone Stadium
Tickets
SEC Network+ Live Stream
Promotions:Student Appreciation Day – First 400 students will receive FREE pizza; all students receive DOUBLE POINTS; Gamecock Women in Sports Day – join other Gamecock women’s sports teams for a day of autographs and fun.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
With wins over Auburn (2-1), at Winthrop (7-0), at Elon (5-0) and at VCU (4-1), the Clemson Tigers are off to a 4-0 start thanks to a high-powered offense that has scored 18 goals in four matches. Eight players have tallied goals, with five posting two or more. Sophomore forward Tori Andreski was named NSCAA and ACC Player of the Week for her opening-weekend performance that included four goals and an assist. Her weekend was highlighted by a hat trick along with an assist against Winthrop for a seven-point day. Andreski leads the Tigers in points (10) and goals (4). Clemson’s match at Stone Stadium is the last of a four-game stretch on the road. The Tigers are just outside of this week’s NSCAA poll, receiving the third-most votes outside of the top 25.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan was named to the preseason All-ACC women’s soccer team a year after earning All-ACC Third Team and ACC All-Freshman accolades. This season, she has notched two shutouts and allowed two goals.
SERIES HISTORY
South Carolina and Clemson have met in each season that South Carolina has fielded a women’s soccer program. The Tigers lead the all-time series 8-11-0, with the Gamecocks holding a 5-4 edge at Stone Stadium. After the Tigers took eight of the first nine matches, the series has shifted with the Gamecocks winning seven of the last 10. Last year, South Carolina won at Riggs field 2-1 with Raina Johnson tallying the game-winner. Two years ago, Clemson took a 0-1 contest in double overtime at Stone Stadium to break a four-game South Carolina win streak.
CANADIAN CONNECTION
Two of the top goalkeepers Canada has to offer will be on display at Stone Stadium on Friday. In 2012, Sabrina D’Angelo was the starting goalkeeper for her native Canada at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, registering 16 saves, a shutout and a stopped penalty kick in the tournament. This summer, Clemson starting goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan spent time as the starting keeper for Canada’s U-20 National Team at the U-20 Women’s World Cup. Sheridan helped her country advance out of the group stage with 15 saves and a shutout before falling to Germany 2-0 in the quarterfinals. The 2014 FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to be held in Canada next summer.
SCOUTING HIGH POINT
High Point is off to a 1-0-2 start after a 4-3 win at UNF to open the season followed by a pair of ties at Jacksonville and vs. Western Carolina. Kelsey Perrell, 2013 leading scorer (7g, 3a) and Big South All-Freshman selection, leads the Panthers with two goals and an assist. Jacky Kessler, Taylor Thompson and Paige Lloyd have also notched a tally a piece in the young season. In goal, Alex Persiani and Jordan Beets have evenly split time with each netminder giving up two goals. The team is selected to finish fifth in the Big South preseason poll with five starters and 15 letterwinners back from last season to go with17 newcomers. Sunday marks the first meeting between the Gamecocks and Panthers.
D’ANGELO NAMED SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
A two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Sabrina D’Angelo earned her first SEC Defensive Player of the Week for her shutout efforts against No. 22 Boston University and Milwaukee in Week 2. D’Angelo recorded her 22nd and 23rd career shutouts (second in school history). After shutout performance over the ranked Terriers, D’Angelo came up big when it mattered. Faced with an early Milwaukee penalty kick, the senior keeper kept the shutout streak alive with a diving save to her right. The save ignited a run that led to the Gamecocks’ first goal of the day less than three minutes later. The pair of wins extended the home winning streak to a program-best 14, captured head coach Shelley Smith’s 200th career victory and won the Garnet & Black Classic Title. The Gamecocks are the only SEC team to not allow a goal this season. D’Angelo was named SEC Freshman of the Week in October of 2011.
SHUTOUT START
With a pair of 2-0 wins at East Carolina and at home over Samford to open the season followed by a 1-0 double-overtime thriller against No. 22 Boston University and a 2-0 decision over Milwaukee, South Carolina opened the season with four-consecutive shutouts for the second-straight season. The Gamecocks allowed just 11 total shots in their first four matches, fewest in the SEC, and is the only league team that has not allowed a point in the 2014 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
“The Graveyard” proved to be a friendly place for the Gamecocks in 2013 as they streaked to a perfect 11-0-0 record at home, the first in program history. With a 2-1 win over SEC foe Kentucky, the 2013 squad became the first team to win 10 regular season games at Stone Stadium. They added another against Furman in the NCAA Tournament to push the streak to 11, tying the 2009 (11-1-0) squad with the most home wins in school history. South Carolina’s stingy defense allowed just four goals in 11 home matches. With shutout wins over Samford, No. 22 Boston University in overtime and Milwaukee to open the 2014 home slate, the Gamecocks stretched the streak to 14, the longest win streak in school history. The longest unbeaten stretch in program history is 15 spanning the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
South Carolina wraps up non-conference play with a trip to Tampa, Fla., for the USF Soccer Classic. The Gamecocks take on host USF Fri., Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. and Florida Gulf Coast on Sun., Sept. 14, at 2 p.m.
