Aug. 12, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 24 South Carolina will put its preseason training to the test Saturday night in an exhibition match at High Point. Kickoff at Vert Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, and admission is free. This weekend’s contest marks the Gamecocks’ only exhibition match before they open regular-season play at Oklahoma on Fri., Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
South Carolina, which returns six starters, enters its 2016 campaign on the heels of another NCAA Tournament appearance last fall. The Gamecocks tallied double-digit wins (12) for the third-straight season in 2015 and advanced to NCAA postseason play for the eighth time in the last nine years under head coach Shelley Smith.
Junior forward and 2015 NSCAA Third-Team All-American Savannah McCaskill headlines the attack for a South Carolina team that boasted its highest scoring average (2.2 goals/match) during Smith’s tenure last season. Chelsea Drennan anchors the midfield, as the senior captain enters her final year just four assists shy of the program record (33). Senior defenders Kaleigh Kurtz and Paige Bendell lead South Carolina’s backline, while newcomers Hunter Peifer and Mikayla Krzeczowski look to fill the goalkeeping position.
High Point sported a record of 12-5-4 last season, winning at least 10 games for the second-straight fall. The Panthers, who return nine starters, have reached the NCAA Tournament five times, with their last appearance coming in 2014. The Gamecocks defeated High Point, 2-0, in the teams’ only regular-season meeting two years ago at Stone Stadium.
Season tickets are on sale now, with soccer fans yet again getting the best deal offered for tickets. For $25 adults and $10 for youth 17 and under, purchasers receive a season ticket to every women’s and men’s soccer match this season and a customized Gamecock Soccer vuvuzela. To take advantage of the offer, call 800-472-3267 or visit GamecocksOnline.com/Tickets.
