South Carolina looks to earn fourth straight win over Tigers
Since its women’s soccer team’s inception in 1995, South Carolina had never managed to beat Clemson in two consecutive seasons, let alone on the road at historic Riggs Field.
That all ended in 2009 when it crossed both items off its list with a 5-0 romp of the Tigers in their own backyard, eventually capping off the season with an SEC title.
The Gamecocks will look to repeat that performance Friday night when they go for their fourth-straight victory over their in-state rival in game one of the 2011 Carolina Cup.
Two years after getting over that hump, coach Shelley Smith once again acknowledged the magnitude that win had for her program.
“That was extremely rewarding,” she said. “Now, it’s not something that you feel like is a curse or that we just can’t win there. You go there, you play the game and it’s anybody’s ball game, just like any other field. I think it is a bit more rewarding to beat Clemson, especially at their place. We prepare for it like any other game, but I think you find the excitement on the field a little bit more of a battle than most games.”
The matchup will be Carolina’s fifth on the road in the last six games, a slate it hasn’t faced to start a season in recent history. Despite the challenges this scenario has brought with it, Smith believes gaining experience away from home this early in the year will pay dividends in the later goings.
“We always tell the team that they’ve got to learn how to win on the road,” she said. “You’ve got to win a championship on the road. We play more games in the SEC on the road this year; it’s difficult. We’ve seen what we’re capable of doing and how the team can perform on the road and at home. I think they’ll just be that much better as we get into conference play.
“They’ve been through it all on the road already. They’ve had adversity, lightning delays, heat, traveling across the country; and they still came to play and showed a lot of heart. Playing at home, they really put it together well and didn’t have to worry about all those things, but now we have to go back on the road and take care of business.”
Despite the challenging start to the 2011 season, the Gamecocks have had few issues to address after the first three weeks, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Although it’s had to make adjustments after the departure of All-SEC defender Brittiny Rhoades, Carolina’s defense is on track to remain among the best in the nation this season, allowing just 0.6 goals per game through its first five matches.
“It’s been a work in progress,” Smith said. “There was some anxiety to losing [All-American defender Blakely Mattern] two years ago and then Brittiny Rhoades. Those are big shoes to fill, and young players have done that. They still have a lot of learning to go. We have to make sure we continue to work on the things we’ve seen in the early games so we won’t get exposed in the back, but they’ve really met the challenge and done well to work hard for each other. It’s a different style without Brittiny in there, but you adapt.”
Allowing the defense to adjust has been the presence of senior Ellen Fahey and junior Dani Henry, both of whom were a part of the starting lineup in 2010. Providing experience to a group of freshmen that includes Christa Neary and Ali Whitney, Smith believes Fahey and Henry will continue to play that role as the season goes along.
“Ellen has the most experience back there. We look to her to be a leader on the back line,” Smith said. “I think Dani has played her best soccer yet here. She’s been asked to move in the middle and to either side in the back. She’s been our most versatile defender and a huge help. Credit to her for being able to move wherever we put her.”
The defense will face a hefty challenge in Clemson as it attempts to shut down an offense that’s averaged 3.8 goals per game over the course of the team’s 5-0 start. Smith said USC has approached the matchup no differently than any other, but acknowledged the heightened sense of excitement the rivalry brings with it.
“It’s a big game for the fans and for the school,” Smith said. “Obviously, we want that pride of beating our rival, but we look at it as a step to get better and prepare ourselves for postseason play. Clemson being a good team from a very strong conference, we look at it as a challenge. It’s always a big game on the schedule, but it’s just another team we need to take care of.”