No. 3 Gamecocks Play Host To Vanderbilt Sunday
Oct. 14, 2017
#3 Women’s Soccer vs. Vanderbilt
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 3 South Carolina women’s soccer (12-1-0, 6-0-0 SEC) returns to action this weekend when it hosts Vanderbilt (9-4-1, 4-1-1 SEC) on Sun., Oct. 15. Kickoff from Stone Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, and the match will air on SEC Network. Sunday’s contest will feature a Pink Out to raise awareness for breast cancer, and each fan who attends the game wearing pink will receive $1 admission.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
Vanderbilt suffered its first loss in SEC play in its last match, falling to No. 9 Florida 3-0 at home on Oct. 8. The Commodores, who boast a mark of 6-1-0 in away games this season, have matched their win total from all of last season with nine victories on the year. Sunday will be Vanderbilt’s second contest against a ranked foe this year and the first time it will face a top-25 opponent on the road.
Striker Simone Charley leads the Commodores in points (11) and assists (5), and her three goals are tied for the team lead. Midfielder Olivia Simmons and defender Jackie Welch have both netted three goals on the year for a Vanderbilt team that ranks 13th in the league with 19 tallies in 2017. Redshirt senior Kaitlyn Fahrner, one of three players to see time in net for the Commodores this season, is seventh in the SEC with a 0.75 goals against average.
Carolina is unbeaten in seven of its last eight games against Vanderbilt in a stretch that dates back to 2009. The Gamecocks are 4-7-0 at home against the Commodores, who lead the series with a mark of 14-5-5.
LAST TIME OUT
South Carolina extended its winning streak to 10 games after topping Arkansas 2-0 last Sunday (Oct. 8) at Razorback Field. Senior forward Savannah McCaskill and freshman midfielder Bianca Galassini netted first-half goals for the Gamecocks, who remained atop the SEC standings with the victory over the Razorbacks.
McCaskill opened the scoring in the 40th minute after getting in front of a Razorback defender and one timing a shot that tucked the ball inside the right post past Arkansas goalkeeper Jordan Harris.
Carolina stretched its lead to 2-0 two minutes later when freshman attacker Luciana Zullo used her speed to race by a pair of defenders and create a one-on-one chance in the box. Her blocked shot attempt sent the ball to Galassini near the right post, and the midfielder found the back of the net with Harris off her line.
South Carolina held the Razorbacks to 11 shots in the match, and Arkansas put just one attempt on frame over the final 45 minutes. The Gamecocks, who sported a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks, recorded 14 shots and put four attempts on target. Carolina improved to 13-3-3 all-time against Arkansas with the win.
WE’RE NUMBER ONE
Carolina remained atop the Women’s Soccer RPI rankings this week, the NCAA announced Monday. The Gamecocks earned the program’s highest spot in the rankings after debuting at No. 1 on Sept. 18. South Carolina spent eight weeks ranked inside the RPI top-five last season, earning a top-three listing four times throughout the stretch.
Stanford (2), North Carolina (3), Duke (4) and West Virginia (5) rounded out the top-five in Monday’s ranking. The Gamecocks, who moved past the Knights 2-0 in their season opener on Aug. 18, boast five wins against teams currently ranked inside the top-25 of the RPI.
STAYING POWER
South Carolina stayed at No. 3 in Tuesday’s United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Gamecocks, who have spent six weeks inside the top-five this season, have been positioned in the top-15 in each of the last 20 installments of the poll dating back to last year. South Carolina has earned a top-10 ranking 16 times over that stretch. The Gamecocks entered the fall with the program’s highest preseason spot after being listed at No. 4 in August.
STREAKING IN THE SEC
The Gamecocks have won a program-record 18-straight games in SEC regular-season play in a streak that dates back to 2015. South Carolina closed its 2015 conference slate with a 4-0 victory over Tennessee before posting a perfect 11-0-0 mark in league play last fall en route to the 2016 SEC Regular-Season Title. The Gamecocks notched a shutout in 14 of the 18 wins.
REGULAR SEASON WARRIORS
Carolina boasts a mark of 29-1-1 over its last 31 regular-season matches in a stretch that dates back to the start of the 2016 season. The Gamecocks have notched victories over seven ranked opponents during that time, and 14 of their wins have come by at least two goals. Carolina, which has gone on a double-digit winning streak in each of the last two seasons, has outscored its foes 63-14 over the stretch.
NO GOALS FOR YOU
South Carolina has allowed a conference-best two goals in SEC play this season. The Gamecocks have notched clean sheets in eight of their last 10 matches, allowing just two goals over that stretch. Carolina, which has conceded more than one goal just twice in 2017, ranks first in the league with a 0.53 goals against average for the season. The Gamecocks have allowed three or less shots on target eight times for the year.
A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
With their 2-0 victory over No. 18 Ole Miss on Sept. 29, the Gamecocks reached double-digit wins in a season for the 13th time under head coach Shelley Smith. Carolina has boasted at least 10 victories in all but three seasons during Smith’s 16 years at the program, accomplishing the feat in each of the last five falls.
FRESHMEN FIREPOWER
Carolina’s freshman class has made an instant impact on the Gamecock attack, accounting for 11 of the team’s 23 goals in 2017. A freshman has notched the game-winner in five of South Carolina’s last 10 victories, and six first-year players have recorded a point this fall. Forward Luciana Zullo ranks second on the team in game-winners (2) and is third in goals (3) and points (9), while midfielder Breukelen Woodard is one of three Gamecocks with multiple assists on the year. Freshman Bianca Galassini is tied with Zullo with three tallies, and fellow newcomers Ryan Gareis and Lauren Chang have both found the back of the net twice in 2017.
MCCASKILL TABBED A FINALIST FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD
South Carolina senior forward Savannah McCaskill was named a finalist for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award in women’s collegiate soccer on Thursday. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2017 NCAA Women’s College Cup later this fall. McCaskill, a two-time All-American and three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, was the league’s only player to be named to the list of 10 finalists.
PLAYING FOR A CROWD
Carolina leads the SEC and currently ranks second in NCAA Division I in average attendance with 2,982 fans per home match. The Gamecocks, who finished the 2016 regular season with the top average attendance mark, have hosted over 2,500 fans in five of its six home contests this year. Carolina sported the 12th-highest crowd (3,699) in program history in its match against High Point on Aug. 27.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks continue SEC play next week when they face Missouri on the road on Thu., Oct. 19. Kickoff from Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the match can be seen on SEC Network+.
