Oct. 2, 2015
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ââ’¬” The No. 10 South Carolina women’s soccer team (10-1-1, 4-0-1) remained unbeaten in SEC play after earning a 2-2 draw with Arkansas on Friday night at Razorback Field.
The Gamecocks, who sported a 15-13 shot advantage in the match, received goals from freshman Simone Wark and sophomore Anna Conklin in the contest.
After Arkansas pulled ahead again on a corner kick in the 51st minute, South Carolina didn’t take long to respond and even the match at two. Wark, who finished the game with a pair of shots, registered the goal in the 53rd minute after a great pass from forward Savannah McCaskill. McCaskill’s volley into the box found Warke, who used her head to place the ball off the right post and into the net.
After boasting a 5-4 shot advantage in the first half, the Gamecocks notched the equalizer quickly of the break in the 47th minute. Sophomore Anna Conklin provided the goal, as her diving header in the box beat Arkansas keeper Jordan Harris. Senior forward Raina Johnson earned the assist on the scoring play after sending in a cross from the right side of the box.
The Razorbacks opened the scoring early, finding the back of the net in the fifth minute on a give-and-go play. Claire Kelley tallied the goal, as the midfielder guided a shot over South Carolina goalkeeper Caroline Kelly after receiving a pass back from Carly Hoke in the box.
The two teams combined for six corner kicks in the two overtime periods, but neither was able to create a quality scoring chance. Kelly finished the game with four saves, as she moved to 5-1-1 on the season. GAME CHANGER
Wark’s equalizer in the 53rd minute secured the draw for the Gamecocks. The freshman forward has totaled two goals this season.
NOTABLES
- Friday’s result marked the first draw for the Gamecocks this season. South Carolina finished last season with five ties.
- South Carolina moved to 1-0-1 in overtime matches following the match. The Gamecocks defeated Oklahoma, 2-1, in extra time back on Aug. 23 at Stone Stadium.
- Kelly’s four saves in Friday’s match were a season-high for the senior.
- Arkansas’s two goals were the most for an SEC opponent against South Carolina this season. The Gamecocks entered the match with a 9-2 goal advantage in league play in 2015.
QUOTABLE South Carolina Head Coach Shelley Smith
Overall not our best team performance. Stevi Parker again played her heart out for us; she played all 110 minutes and continues to be a leader on the field. I give credit to Arkansas for coming out and putting a lot of pressure on us. We played better in the second half and were able to open the game up, but we never were able to get the possession we needed. We did well to battle back, and I am happy to get a point on the road.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks return to action on Thursday (Oct. 8) when they host No. 8 Auburn at Stone Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. and the match can be seen on the SEC Network.
