Gamecocks Projected to Finish Fourth in SEC
Birmingham, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference office today released the preseason coaches’ poll Tuesday where the Gamecocks were selected to finish fourth among the 14 teams behind Florida, Texas A&M and Tennessee.
Rounding off the top 10 of the poll, which is voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches, includes Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
The University of South Carolina will look to defend their 2016 and 2017 SEC championships during the 26th season of SEC women’s soccer. The Gamecocks have not lost an SEC game since 2015, spanning across 23 games during that span with a record of 21-0-2.
Head Coach Shelley Smith and the Gamecocks return players from their 2017 SEC Championship squad that made the program’s first College Cup appearance. The team consists of 26 underclassmen, one senior, and seven juniors. The Gamecocks will play the early part of the season without captain, and MAC Hermann watch list honoree, Grace Fisk due to her involvement with her home nation’s participation in the U20 Women’s World Cup.
The Gamecocks will play all three of the teams ahead of them in the preseason poll this season, two of them at home. The Gamecocks and the Volunteers will clash on Sept. 16 in Knoxville, while Florida (Oct. 7) and Texas A&M (Oct. 25) will visit Stone Stadium in the second half of the SEC season.
Before the SEC season begins, the Gamecocks will play eight non-conference games, which begin this Friday at Stone Stadium when Fordham comes to Columbia. That game is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
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Full Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Florida
2. Texas A&M
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Auburn
6. Arkansas
7. Ole Miss
8. Alabama
9. Vanderbilt
10. Missouri
11. LSU
12. Mississippi State
13. Kentucky
14. Georgia
