Gamecocks Wrap Up Regular Season at Auburn
#8 Women’s Soccer at Auburn
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 8 South Carolina women’s soccer wraps up the 2019 regular season with a road match with Auburn on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The match can be seen on SEC Network’s whip around coverage starting at 7 p.m. or on SEC Network + at the 8 p.m. start time.
GAMECOCKS REMAIN ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM IN SEC
No. 8 South Carolina women’s soccer (12-1-3, 6-0-3 SEC) remained the only undefeated team in the Southeastern Conference with a 1-0-1 record during last week’s action against Ole Miss and then No. 20 Florida. The Gamecocks took out Ole Miss on Senior Night on Oct. 24, 2-0 at home against the Rebels. Elexa Bahr netted her fourth gamewinner and her 17th career goal in the win.
“Tonight was a great night not only for our seniors, but our entire team,” head coach Shelley Smith said after the win. “We’ve set ourselves up to go into Florida and play for championships.”
Carolina then traveled to Gainesville to take on the Gators and got a tying goal from Riley Tanner in the 82nd minute and eventually ended in a draw.
“I think after starting off a little slow, we did well to adjust today,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “We played a talented team and I’m very proud of the team for coming back today after behind a goal, especially late in the second half. It is easy to feel like you can’t do it, but they never gave up.”
SCOUTING AUBURN
Auburn (7-8-2, 4-5-0 SEC) hosts the Gamecocks after getting back to their winning ways with a 3-2 double overtime win against Alabama on the road. That broke a four-match losing streak entering that contest to keep them in the race for a spot in the 2019 SEC Tournament. The Tigers are led by Bri Folds, a senior midfielder, with six goals and three assists this season. She also leads the team in shots with 32 and has took three penalty kicks this season, all of which she has converted. In goal, Auburn has had Kate Hart in all 17 matches this season. She has a 1.40 goals against average and has made 62 saves to go with her six clean sheets.
SEC OUTLOOK
The Gamecocks can no longer win the SEC East crown with a division record of 3-0-3 that gives Carolina 12 division points. Vanderbilt and Florida both could still can claim the division crown to automatically get the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament. Arkansas has already clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament. The Gamecocks can still win the overall SEC Championship with a win and a draw or loss from Arkansas. That would still keep the Gamecocks as a three seed due to not winning the east division. The 2019 SEC Tournament takes place in Orange Beach, Ala. from Nov. 3-10.
GAMECOCK NATIONAL STATS
Nationally, the Gamecocks are among the best in goals against average through seven weeks of the season with a team mark of 0.43. That ranks the Gamecocks 10th in the country. Individually, Mikayla Krzeczowski is 11th in the country in both goals against average and shutouts. South Carolina finished third in the country in average attendance through the regular season with an average of 2,249 fans at each home match.
SEC COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Junior forward Ryan Gareis was named to the SEC Community Service for the first time, the league office announced on Oct. 29. Gareis, who has started in 15 of South Carolina’s 16 matches this season, has shown a passion for helping out in the community. She has taken part in a variety of events and found ways to help people of all ages.
IRON MIK
Since taking over the role as the starting goalkeeper in 2016 Mikayla Krzeczowski has not missed a match for the Gamecocks. The stretch has reached 81-straight matches over her four seasons without missing a match. During that span, Krzeczowski has picked up 43 clean sheets and holds the current goals against average record for a career at Carolina at 0.48.
WEEKLY GREATNESS
Coming in at No. 8 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, South Carolina has now been in the top 25 for 47-straight weeks dating back to 2016. The streak is the longest since the program began keeping track in 2007.
SEC ANNOUNCES ENHANCEMENTS TO SOCCER COVERAGE
The Southeastern Conference has announced exciting enhancements to the end of the conference season and the SEC Tournament, as well as time changes to various women’s soccer matches on Oct. 31, including Carolina’s road match with Auburn.
The Gamecocks’ match with Auburn on Oct. 31 has been moved from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to work around the SEC Network whip around coverage that will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature live look-in’s of all seven matches in the SEC. The show, titled “Reach the Beach,” will end at 11 p.m. with the final SEC Tournament bracket revealed.
The conference also announced plans to bring the SEC Studio show to the SEC Tournament. This will provide an opportunity for even more enhanced coverage throughout the conference tournament.
IT JUST MEANS MORE – TO THE GAMECOCKS
Over the past seven seasons, the Gamecocks have been near the top of the SEC standings almost every season. Since giving up three goals on Oct. 25, 2012, the Gamecocks have not given up more than two goals in a single SEC match, a streak that covers 75 matches with the Gamecocks holding an impressive 52-12-11 record over that span.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks will learn their path at the 2019 SEC Tournament after all the matches conclude on Oct. 31, the final day of the regular season. The Gamecocks were the No. 6 seed in last year’s SEC Tournament, where they reached the semifinals.
QUICK NOTES
– Mikayla Krzeczowski’s 43 career shutouts gives her the 14th most in NCAA Division I history
– The Gamecocks last regular season SEC Championship was in 2017 – the team has won four SEC championships in program history
– With a win, the Gamecocks will have finished with an undefeated SEC record for the third time in four years (2016, 2017)
– Since Grace Fisk joined the Gamecocks in 2017, the team has a goals against average of 0.43 in the 51 matches she has played
– South Carolina finished the regular season with an undefeated home record for the fifth time in program history, and the third time in the last four seasons
