Carolina Headed to Nashville for Clash with Vanderbilt
Women’s Soccer at Vanderbilt
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina women’s soccer (2-1-0, 2-1-0 SEC) is set to take on Vanderbilt (1-2-0, 1-2-0 SEC) in Nashville on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. The match will be aired on ESPNU from the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.
LAST TIME OUT – KENTUCKY
South Carolina women’s soccer (2-1-0, 2-1-0 SEC) secured a 1-0 shut out win over Kentucky (0-3-0, 0-3-0 SEC) at Stone Stadium on Sunday afternoon behind freshman Catherine Barry’s third goal of the season.
After a scoreless first 45-minutes of action the Gamecocks came out in the second half and took over. Barry was able to put Carolina ahead in the 52nd minute when the freshman turned on a shot after senior captain Anna Patten knocked down a corner kick into the box. Barry has scored three of the Gamecocks five goals this season.
“My goal today was to just go out there and do whatever it took to help the team win and contribute anyway I could,” Barry said after the win. “I think halftime was huge for us today. It was a great time for us to get together and get back on the same page. We knew we weren’t playing to our full potential in the first half.”
On the other side of the field it was Heather Hinz making her first collegiate start in goal for the Gamecocks. The sophomore made just one save but communicated well with a back line that was not at full strength to earn her first individual clean sheet.
BARRY NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
South Carolina women’s soccer freshman Catherine Barry earned her second straight weekly honor earning the SEC Freshman of the Week honor, the conference office announced on Monday.
Barry scored the game-winning goal for the Gamecocks in their 1-0 victory over Kentucky on Sunday. That gives her back-to-back game-winning goals and puts her into a tie for the most goals in the SEC through three weeks of action. Her back-to-back scoring effort is the first by a Carolina freshman since Selma Sol Magnusdottir in 2018.
“Cat has made an impact on our offense from the start,” South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith said. “She has been introduced to the college game quickly by taking on a starting role, jumping right into SEC play and making her presence felt with some goal production early on. We are excited to see her continue to grow and create more chances for herself and others as she gains even more experience on the field.”
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
Although Vanderbilt (1-2-0, 1-2-0 SEC) has struggled to find a result in its first three matches this season, their offense has been red hot. The offense is led by junior Haley Hopkins, who has scored two, or half, of the Commodores goals this season. The junior is a lethal scorer, scoring 29 times since she arrived in Nashville, including accounting for 36 percent (13-of-36) of Vanderbilt’s offense in 2019. The Commodores troubles haven’t been on the offensive end though, outshooting their opponents in every match this season, but on the defensive end where they have given up five goals in three matches. Sophie Guilmette has started all three matches in goal this season, making six saves in the 27 shots she has faced. The Gamecocks are undefeated in Nashville in the past five meetings, but have tied in four of those five matches that date back to 2010. The Gamecocks are 3-1-2 against the Commodores since Darren Ambrose took over the Commodore’s program. Vanderbilt has not scored against the Gamecocks since 2016, a match the Gamecocks won 2-1 in overtime.
PATTEN NAMED TO TOPDRAWERSOCCER TEAM OF THE WEEK
South Carolina women’s soccer senior defender Anna Patten was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s Team of the Week for her performance against Kentucky, the publication announced Tuesday.
The English center back played 90 minutes, helping shut out Kentucky by a 1-0 score. She assisted on the game-winning goal that was scored by freshman Catherine Barry, and completed 89 percent of her 55 passes. Patten has played all 270 minutes this season for the Gamecocks, helping the Gamecocks earn their first clean sheet against Kentucky on Oct. 4.
SMITH APPROACHING 300 WINS
South Carolina head coach Shelley Smith is just three wins away from 300 career wins, with 256 of those coming at South Carolina. Smith is in her 20th year as a head coach at South Carolina and has won five SEC Championships, coached 14 All-Americans, has reached four NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals and one College Cup (2017). Smith is fourth all-time in SEC women’s soccer history with 297 wins.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
In the short, three match season, the Gamecocks have managed to do most of their offensive damage in the second half. Four of the Gamecocks five goals in 2020 have been in the second 45-minute period. Carolina has fired off 25 shots in the second half compared to 21 shots in the first while also allowing less corners in the second half (1) compared to the first (5).
EXTRA TIME IN NASHVILLE
South Carolina and Vanderbilt have gone to overtime 12 times in the 28-match history between the two programs since 1995. The Commodores hold a 14-7-7 advantage in the series, with Vanderbilt holding a 4-1-7 record in those 12 overtime matches. The only Gamecock overtime win over Vanderbilt came in 2016 when Daija Griffin scored the golden goal in the 97th minute in Nashville.
‘MATTER’ IS THE MINIMUM PATCH
As of July 30, 2020, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rules to allow student-athletes in all sports to wear patches on their uniforms for commemorative and memorial purposes, as well as to support social justice issues. Student-athletes of the South Carolina women’s soccer program chose to wear patches that read “Matter is the Minimum” on their right sleeve.
The Gamecocks chose to wear these patches because they want to use their platform as student-athletes to take a stand against systemic racism and social injustice. The team does not tolerate any form of racism and injustice and wants to do its part to make a change. Although these patches are small, they stand for a movement that is bigger than any game.
UP NEXT
Carolina will have a short week when they take on No. 3 Arkansas on the road in Fayetteville, Ark. on Fri., Oct. 16. The Gamecocks defeated the Razorbacks twice in 2019, including the SEC Tournament Championship, 1-0. The match can be seen on SEC Network + at 8 p.m.
QUICK NOTES
– Sutton Jones scored the game-winning goal for the Gamecocks against the Commodores last season in the SEC Tournament semifinals
– The Gamecocks have not allowed star forward Haley Hopkins to score a goal in three matches against the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year
– The Gamecocks have outscored the Commodores 5-0 since 2016 and have not lost to the Commodores since 2015
– The 2020 season for the Gamecocks is the 25th season in program history with head coach Shelley Smith entering her 20th season as the leader of the Garnet and Black
– Shelley Smith won her 297 match against Missouri on Sept. 27, just three wins away from 300 for her career
