South Carolina looks for success in week two matchups
In last season’s home matchup with Arizona State, a header attempt in the 90th minute nearly gave South Carolina a victory in what eventually ended as a 1-1 draw.
The Gamecocks will look for a different result this time around as they travel to the Grand Canyon State to take on Arizona tonight before facing the Sun Devils in a rematch on Sunday afternoon.
Coming off an opening weekend that saw a win over East Carolina and a loss at Duke, USC enters its next set of matches pleased with the overall performance, but focused on creating more consistency.
“In the first game, we went out and struggled in the first half, then really made some great adjustments in the second half,” coach Shelley Smith said. “Sunday, we didn’t come out physically the way we needed to, but we stepped up in the second half again and played well, so if we can make sure we start off the way we finished those games, we’ll be that much more better off in the next couple weeks.”
One of the program’s main storylines going into the season opener was the battle to replace goalkeeper Mollie Patton, who finished her final season as a Gamecock with 31 career shutouts. Freshman Sabrina D’Angelo earned the majority of the minutes in both matchups, playing 76 against ECU and the full 90 against Duke while recording eight saves on the weekend and allowing two goals.
“Sabrina was solid, as we had expected,” Smith said. “She’s a great presence in goal, she communicates well and made some tremendous saves. Unfortunately, the goals scored against her were long-range shots that not many goalkeepers out there could save.”
Although D’Angelo appears to be the frontrunner for the starting job at this point, Smith hasn’t ruled out redshirt sophomore Darien Vercillo, who saw the other 14 minutes of playing time against the Pirates while recording two saves.
“We made a decision to go with Sabrina [in the opening matches] after what we’ve seen in her all preseason, but Darien’s ready and available when needed,” Smith said. “Depending on the opponent and maybe the strengths of the two, we’ll determine what we’ll do with that starting role. Time will tell what happens, but at least we know we have two strong goalkeepers to go with.”
Among those who made a strong debut was senior Kortney Rhoades, whose opening impression was encouraging after a difficult season last year. After a strong sophomore campaign in which she started 24 matches while adding three goals and two assists, Rhoades appeared in just 12 matches in 2010 while struggling with an ankle injury and failed to accumulate any points.
The Delaware native started both games last weekend at midfield, leading the team with three shots against Duke, and Smith believes her continued presence on the field will bring about positive results.
“It’s great to have a senior out there that has struggled with injuries,” Smith said. “We know she’s got the potential to help us do well. She was one of the most fit players coming into the preseason, so she’s been proving herself and showing that she wants to be a leader on the field.”
The road trip to Arizona marks Carolina’s furthest traveling experience since the program’s trip to San Diego in 2001. Despite being faced with playing two time zones away, Smith doesn’t expect the distance to have a major effect on her players’ performances.
“As a staff, we have to consider those things, but I think our players will just be ready to play,” Smith said. “We’ll work with the time change and make sure it’s the best environment for them and that they get the rest they need, but when it comes time for that whistle, they need to be ready and they know that.”