 "Photo: Zack Plum/The Daily Gamecock")
The No. 13 Gamecock women’s soccer team looks to shake off a two-game losing streak as it enters the SEC tournament tonight against Georgia.
Coach Shelley Smith says she hopes her team can remember its talent against the Bulldogs following two losses to close out the regular season.
“You lose sight of the great season you’ve had after you lose two in a row. They have to remember how strong of a team they are,” Smith said.
The tournament, held in Orange Beach, Ala., will be Carolina’s chance for revenge against the Bulldogs (14-4-1, 7-4 SEC), who handed the Gamecocks (15-3-1, 7-3-1 SEC) their first defeat of the season back on Oct. 16.
The Gamecocks are seeded fourth in the tournament, with Georgia seeded fifth. The winner will take on the winner of the Florida vs. Tennessee match in the semifinals. Carolina is 1-7-1 all time in SEC Tournament play.
Carolina looks for solid play from junior goalkeeper Mollie Patton, who has allowed four goals in her last two matches after allowing only four all year in her previous fifteen matches.
Georgia’s senior goalkeeper Michelle Betos isn’t going to rest easy knowing the Bulldogs already beat the
Gamecocks once this year. She believes the Gamecocks still pose a threat.
“When it comes to our game against South Carolina, it doesn’t really matter who the opponent is; we have to play well to have a chance to win,” Betos said.
Georgia has allowed 17 goals in 19 games this year, including six in a 6-0 shellacking by LSU on Sept. 25.
The Gamecocks will look for help from an offense that hasn’t done much to assist their cause the last two games. Carolina was shut out by both LSU and Florida, and only was able to notch one goal against Georgia when the two teams met prior in the season.
Georgia coach Patrick Baker is expecting a fight from the Gamecocks, and hopes for a good performance from his team Wednesday.
“We are facing one of the best teams in the conference and one of the best teams in the country in South Carolina. We’ll have to play better than we did against them in Athens to give ourselves a chance,” Baker said.
Game time in Orange Beach is set for 8:30 p.m.
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