Oct. 28, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior forward Savannah McCaskill earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, the league announced Friday afternoon. The accolade, McCaskill’s second of the season, marked the fourth-straight week a Gamecock was recognized by the conference.
McCaskill capped off a record-breaking regular season with a bang on Thursday against Ole Miss, tallying a goal and an assist in No. 2 Carolina’s 2-0 victory. The Chapin, S.C., native opened the scoring in the 18th minute, collecting a pass in the attacking third before using the outside of her foot to fire a shot into the left side of the net. It was a historic goal for McCaskill, who set the program’s new single-season points record (35) following her 14th tally of the season. Her goal total also matches the most by a Carolina player in one season.
The junior padded her point total less than two minutes later when she assisted on senior forward Sophie Groff’s goal, which pushed the Gamecocks’ lead to two. With the scoring play, the forward pulled even with senior captain Chelsea Drennan for the team lead in assists (8).
McCaskill, who boasts four multi-goal games in 2016, ranks first in the SEC in points and goals. Her eight game-winners also lead the league and are the most in one season by a Gamecock.
The SEC Champion Gamecocks, who became the first school in the conference to complete an undefeated (17-0-1) regular season with their win over the Rebels, open postseason play next Wednesday (Nov. 2) in the quarterfinals of the league tournament at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, Ala. Top-seeded Carolina will face the winner of Monday’s (Oct. 31) contest between eighth-seeded Texas A&M and the No. 9 seed Alabama. Kickoff on Wednesday is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, and the match will air on SEC Network.
