Aug. 14, 2017
2016 Rewind
South Carolina allowed just 10 goals last fall, and its 0.41 goals against average was the lowest single-season mark in program history. The Gamecocks tallied an SEC-leading 14 shutouts, conceding just three scores in league play en route to the 2016 conference regular-season title.
Opponents averaged 7.2 shots per game against Carolina, and the Gamecocks held a foe to five attempts or less nine times. Eight of South Carolina’s 14 shutouts came in SEC action, and the team also posted clean sheets against No. 20 Colorado and No 4 BYU in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
The Returnees
Senior left back Anna Conklin highlights Carolina’s six returning defenders. The Randolph, N.J., native earned the start in all 24 matches last season and ranked second among Gamecock defenders with a career-best four assists. Sophomore Tatumn Milazzo also saw time in each game last season, playing 60 minutes or more six times.
Fellow second-year defender Rebecca Koch appeared in 20 games last season, while sophomores Kailey Mattison and Lauren Pinkham round out the remaining letterwinners returning to Carolina’s defensive unit. Mattison saw time in nine contests and three SEC matches, and Pinkham appeared in six games as a freshman. Redshirt freshman Libby Stahlman, who sat out all of last year, marks the final returning defender for the Gamecocks.
The Newcomers
Four freshman and sophomore transfer Grace Fisk will serve as the additions to Carolina’s back line in 2017. Fisk, who played her freshman season at Penn State, started 18 of 21 matches for the Nittany Lions last year. The Bromley, London, native has competed for the England women’s national team for the U-15, U-17, U-18 and U-19 squads.
Jenn Colter and Alexis Lainhart both enter their first season with the Gamecocks after competing for Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Colter also played for Savannah Christian Prep, where she was her team’s leading goal scorer for the 2015 season. Lainhart, a native of Hilton Head Island, S.C., earned All-State and All-Region honors while playing for Hilton Head Island High School.
Gamecock newcomer Jackie Schaefer brings an impressive background to Carolina after participating in the U-17 U.S. National Soccer Team Camp in 2014. The Atlantic Beach, Fla., native, who enrolled at South Carolina in January, also attended the 2014 and 2016 Nike ECNL events. Susan Kehl enters her first season with the Gamecocks following an productive career at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Kehl helped guide the school to the 2016 MN State Cup Championship, and she was voted best newcomer by her teammates after leading Shattuck-St. Mary’s to state runner-up honors in 2014.
Coach Shelley Smith’s Take
“We will be looking for some new players to step up and replace the loss of some key defenders. We are excited to have Anna Conklin and Tatumn Milazzo lead the way in the back. They bring a lot of experience and possess the ability to get involved in the attack as well. The center of the back line will have some quality new faces in Jackie Schaefer and Grace Fisk. Those two will just keep improving over the course of the season as they have more time to play together and get more organized.”
