Entering Friday’s match against Alabama at Stone Stadium, the South Carolina women’s soccer team was solely focused on earning its first conference win of the season.
The Gamecocks not only accomplished that feat, shutting out the Tide 1-0, but also helped head coach Shelley Smith reach a career milestone.
The match marked career victory No. 250 for Smith, who is the program’s all-time leader in wins. The 16-year head coach at USC has earned 209 of her 250 wins with the Gamecocks, leading them to 12 double-digit win seasons, according to GamecocksOnline.
“That was a surprise to me,” Smith said. “I don’t count the wins. It is an accomplishment for sure. I’m just happy about the win tonight and thinking about moving forward to the next game now. Excited about tonight, what we did to battle Alabama. They came out and gave us a great battle. That’s what happens in the SEC."
Friday’s win came via a game-winning penalty kick from Lindsey Lane in the 76th minute after senior striker Savannah McCaskill was fouled. It was Lane’s eighth career goal and made her the sixth Gamecock to record a game-winner this season. The Gamecocks have won nine of their 10 home matches against Alabama dating back to 1997, according to GamecocksOnline.
Smith reached 200 wins during the Gamecocks’ 2014 season, the same year McCaskill was named SEC Freshman of the Year. McCaskill reached a career milestone herself on Sept. 8 against Clemson with an assist that gave her 100 points on her career.
“She’s probably the most all-around player we’ve ever had here,” Smith said. “She can play anywhere on the field. We’ve made her a forward primarily and she’s blossomed in that role and obviously done a great job to get points … It’s phenomenal and she’s on a very short list of players in our program who have gotten to that goal and that number and deservedly so.”
With McCaskill and Smith leading the charge, the Gamecocks have won their SEC opener in each of the last four seasons. The team’s perfect regular season and postseason run under Smith in 2016 contributed 21 wins to her career total.
While surprised to hear about her milestone, Smith ultimately credited her players for helping her reach it.
“I was proud of our girls to find a way to win that game and keep another shutout,” Smith said. “The fact that the team held it together; It wasn’t always maybe the best game we’ve played. Again, we backed each other up, we found a way to win and that’s what’s important.”