Women's Soccer . August 21, 2022

Freshmen and Firsts: No. 12 Women's Soccer Defeats East Carolina 2-0

Game #1

COLUMBIA, SC – The No. 12 women’s soccer team emerged victorious on Sunday, taking down East Carolina 2-0. Two freshmen accounted for the first goal of the season, and sophomore Megan Spiehs tallied the first goal of her career for the Gamecocks.

Breaking Down the Action:

Sophomore Payton Patrick got things started early for the Gamecocks, taking a shot in the second minute coming just short off the left side of the frame. Redshirt senior Samantha Chang came in hot at the sixth minute with South Carolina’s first on goal shot of the day, but was saved by Pirate’s goalkeeper Maeve English.

ECU took their first attempt at the 15-minute mark, coming off wide to the right. The Gamecocks would take two more shots over the course of the next seven minutes but were unable to make a connection.

At the 36-minute mark, freshman Dru Drake fed the ball to fellow rookie Shae O’Rourke to tally the first goal of the season and give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead heading into the half. This marked the first career goal for O’Rourke, and the first career assist for Drake.

The Pirates opened the second half with a shot on goal (the first of their season), but a save from senior goalkeeper Heather Hinz kept South Carolina in front.

In the 50^th minute, the Gamecocks found success once again through sophomore Spiehs with an assist from Cat Barry, sneaking past English to make things 2-0, marking the first career goal for Spiehs. Carolina finished the game with a 10-4 shot advantage and possessed the ball for a total of 63% of the time.

The Gamecocks come away from their first two home games undefeated and have allowed no goals against them.

Up Next:

South Carolina will hit the road for the first time this season, taking on UConn and Vermont Thursday, Aug. 25, and Sunday Aug. 28, respectively.

For the latest on women’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockWSoccer, Facebook /GamecockWSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockWSoccer.