Sept. 15, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A dominant defensive effort and two first-half goals by senior midfielder Chelsea Drennan propelled No. 14 South Carolina to a 3-0 win over UNCG in its non-conference finale at Stone Stadium on Thursday night. The victory kept the Gamecocks (7-0-1) unbeaten and pushed their winning streak to seven matches, while the Spartans fell to 3-5-1 on the year.
South Carolina’s defense continued its remarkable form, limiting UNCG to three shots and zero attempts on target. The Gamecocks put 10 shots on goal, and finished the contest with a 28-3 advantage in the statistical category. Carolina attempted all 10 of the match’s corner kicks, while senior center back Kaleigh Kurtz totaled two assists on the night.
Each of the game’s three goals came in the first half for the Gamecocks, who moved to 4-1-0 all-time against the Spartans with the win. Junior midfielder Dominique Babbitt opened the scoring in the 12th minute after senior forward Sophie Groff sent a shot into the box. Her ball in deflected off a Spartan defender and fell to the feet of Babbitt, who buried a shot into the back of the net from the top of the box. The goal marked the first of the season for Babbitt and her second overall.
In the 26th minute, Carolina doubled its lead with the first of two goals involving Kurtz and Drennan. Kurtz’s throw into the top right corner of the box found Drennan, who used her head to flick the ball into the left side of the net past UNCG goalkeeper Chloe Buehler. The pair hooked up for an identical scoring play in the 37th minute, as Drennan again connected on a pass from Kurtz and sent a header past Buehler. Her two scores on Thursday gave Drennan four goals in 2016, the most the midfielder has tallied in a season.
The Gamecocks held the majority of possession throughout the match and nearly found the back of the net less than 10 minutes into the contest. Junior midfielder Lindsey Lane’s attempt from distance in the eighth minute hit off the post, and senior center back Paige Bendell saw her header saved minutes later. Bendell was one of six Gamecocks to put a shot on frame.
South Carolina redshirt freshman goalkeeper Hunter Peifer remained perfect on the season with the win, improving to 3-0-0. Buehler tallied seven saves for the Spartans, who lost on the road for the first time this season.
QUOTABLE
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to win at home and take that into a road contest in the SEC. I was pleased with our performance, and we put away goals early. We just have to make sure we continue to build off this going into Sunday.” — Women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith
GAMECHANGER
Seniors Chelsea Drennan and Kaleigh Kurtz gave South Carolina the momentum in the first half after pairing up for two goals. Kurtz’s performance on Thursday marked her first career multi-assist game.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks didn’t allow UNCG a chance at goal all night, holding the Spartans to zero shots on target. UNCG’s zero attempts on frame marked a season low for a South Carolina opponent.
NOTABLE
- The Gamecocks are off to their best start since 2013 when they also began 7-0-1. South Carolina outscored non-conference opponents 18-4 this season.
- Senior midfielder Chelsea Drennan’s performance marked the captain’s first career multi-goal game. She becomes the second Gamecock to notch double-digits points (11) this season, joining junior forward Savannah McCaskill (20).
- South Carolina outscored opponents 11-1 during its four-match homestand. The Gamecocks boast a 14-1 goal advantage overall at Stone Stadium this fall.
- Both of midfielder Dominique Babbitt’s two career goals have been game-winners. She tallied the game-winning goal against Charlotte last year.
- South Carolina has held each of its last seven opponents to three or fewer shots on frame.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks begin a stretch of 10 SEC matches when they face Auburn on the road on Sun., Sept. 18, at Auburn Soccer Complex. Kickoff between South Carolina and the Tigers is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the contest will air on SEC Network.
