Sept. 25, 2014
No. 14 South Carolina (8-1-0, 1-0-0 SEC) returns home to open its home SEC slate this weekend after three games on the road. On Friday, the Gamecocks host Missouri (6-1-2, 1-0-0 SEC) at 6 p.m. in the first half of a doubleheader that also features South Carolina men’s soccer against Marshall. Sunday, The Graveyard hosts this season’s second top-25 matchup with the Gamecocks taking on No. 22 Georgia (6-1-1, 1-0-1 SEC) at 1 p.m.
WEEKEND INFORMATION
Date/Opponent: Fri., Sept. 26 vs. Missouri
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET
Stadium: Stone Stadium
Tickets
SEC Network+ Live Stream
Promotions: Elementary School Day: Free child’s ticket with purchase of adult ticket, students will receive a Cocky Growth Chart; Goldfish snack giveaway
Date/Opponent: Sun., Sept. 28 vs. No. 22 Georgia
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET
Stadium: Stone Stadium
Tickets
SEC Network+ Live Stream
Promotions: Out with the Old, In with the New – trade in an old t-shirt for a new Gamecock T-shirt; $1 Hot Dogs; High School Day; “Bi-Lo Bang for you Buck” – receive $1 admission by showing your Bi-Lo card at the gate
SCOUTING MISSOURI
Currently riding a seven-match unbeaten streak that dates back to 2-1 overtime win at TCU on Aug. 29, Missouri comes to Columbia looking to win its fifth-straight match. Last weekend, the Tigers defeated LSU 3-1 in their conference opener.
A pair of seniors lead the Tigers in goals and assists with Taylor Grant netting six goals and Kaysie Clark notching eight assists. Clark’s eight assists ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC. McKenzie Sauerwein has played every minute in net, posting three shutouts and allowing 10 goals. Midfielder Kaitlyn Clark is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after tallying a goal and an assist in Mizzou’s 3-1 win over LSU.
The Gamecocks and Tigers have met just twice, with both meetings coming since Missouri joined the SEC. Mizzou has taken both matchups, posting a 2-1 decision last season at home and a 1-0 win in 2012 at Stone Stadium.
SCOUTING GEORGIA
No. 22 Georgia sits atop the league table with four points after tying Ole Miss in the first conference match of the season in August and defeating Vanderbilt, 3-1, Sunday. The Bulldogs are on a five-game winning streak.
In Sunday’s come-from-behind victory at Vanderbilt, Marion Crowder netted a pair of goals and has scored multiple goals in back-to-back games. Crowder ranks second on the team with 11 points (5g, 1a). Gabby Seiler has 17 points on five goals and seven assists to lead Georgia. Freshman netminder Louise Hogrell has played every minute for the Bulldogs, allowing six goals for a 0.76 goals against average. Her four shutouts on the season rank second in the SEC behind South Carolina.
Georgia checked in at No. 13 in the season’s initial RPI report released on Monday and continues to climb in the NSCAA poll, checking in at No. 22 this week. The Bulldogs face a pair of ranked teams this weekend, traveling to Gainesville, Fla., on Friday to play No. 7 Florida before ending the weekend in Columbia.
OUT FOR REVENGE
Last season, South Carolina finished SEC play with an 8-2-1 record. Both losses came at the hands of this weekend’s opponents. The then-No.17 Gamecocks traveled to Georgia on Sept. 20 and the Bulldogs handed South Carolina its first loss of the season, collecting a 2-0 win in the SEC opener. Marion Crowder and Laura Eddy scored for Georgia in the match. Nearly a month later, the then-No. 7 Gamecocks traveled to Missouri and fell, 2-1, just their second loss of the season. Paige Bendell netted her first career goal for South Carolina while Taylor Grant and Alyssa Diggs recorded tallies for Missouri. In their opening match of the SEC Tournament last season, the Gamecocks took a 4-0 result over Georgia. In 2013, the Gamecocks allowed two goals just three times – at Georgia, at Missouri and vs. Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. South Carolina dropped all three decisions.
STATE OF DEFENSE
For the second-straight season, the Gamecocks moved through non-conference play allowing just one goal (vs. Clemson, Sept. 5). After allowing just their second goal of the season in the 89th minute at Auburn last weekend, the Gamecocks boast a 0.22 goals against average, a number that ranks third in the country. South Carolina has posted seven shutouts in its nine matches this season. No other SEC team has more than four shutouts or has allowed less than four goals.
ATTRACTING A CROWD
In five home matches this season, the Gamecocks lead the nation in average attendance with 3,761. South Carolina has played in front of at least 1,900 fans at each contest at The Graveyard, with a total of 18,804 coming through the gates. On Fri., Sept. 5, South Carolina set a program record with 5,855 in attendance at the rivalry match vs. Clemson. The previous regular season record stood at 3,017 (Clemson, 9/10/10) with the all-time attendance number of 4,347 set vs. Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 20, 2009. All five contests rank in the program’s all-time attendance top 12.
TOP 5
In the season’s initial NCAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report released Monday evening, the Gamecocks checked in at a program-high No. 5. The spot is the team’s highest ranking since a No. 8 listing on Oct. 8 of last season. This weekend’s opponents offer an opportunity to boost the resume with South Carolina taking on No. 37 Missouri and No. 13 Georgia. The RPI is one of the tools used by the selection committee to determine the 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament, ranking teams based on wins and losses as well as strength of schedule.
THE GAMECOCKS VS. RANKED TEAMS
The Gamecocks will look to improve their 8-16-5 home record against ranked teams on Sunday afternoon when they face No. 22 Georgia. In 2013, South Carolina played five teams in the top 25, putting together a 2-2-1 record that included wins over No. 7 Duke (1-0, Aug. 25, 2013) at home and No. 8 Florida (2-1, 2OT, Oct. 4, 2013) on the road. Earlier this season, the Gamecocks defeated then-No. 22 Boston University at Stone Stadium on a double-overtime golden goal from Raina Johnson. Sophie Groff assisted on the tally in the 104th minute.
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
The Gamecocks continue SEC play next weekend, traveling to Alabama on Fri., Oct. 3, for an 8 p.m. ET contest. On Sunday, South Carolina returns to Columbia to host LSU at 1 p.m.
