USC returns to Stone Stadium after four-game road trip
South Carolina’s routine of living out of suitcases can be put on hold for the moment.
After spending the first two weekends of the season playing in various parts of the country, the Gamecocks are finally set to make their home opener, hosting Northeastern tomorrow night at Stone Stadium.
Although the team managed to snag a pair of wins over the course of the road trip, coach Shelley Smith is encouraged about the prospect of playing in front of a home crowd again.
“Our players are thrilled to be back,” Smith said. “We have such tremendous fan support, and that’s always been on our side when we’re here, especially in a home opener. The players are always excited about it. Having worked so hard in the preseason and then going on the road for two weeks, it’s going to be a relief to be playing at home again.”
The Gamecocks’ biggest contributor on offense through the first two weeks has been Danielle Au, who enters Friday’s matchup with a goal and an assist. Contributing to the sophomore’s production so far has been an increased role in the team’s attack, a change that has created more scoring opportunities after spending the majority of 2010 at midfield.
“The nice thing about Danielle is that she’s versatile,” Smith said. “She can play anywhere up top or in the center midfield, and wherever we put her, we know we’re going to have a chance to have a strong attack. Also, when she played midfield last weekend, she showed she was committed to her defensive part of the game as well, which is really important for our center midfield. She’s going to see more time in both spots.”
The matchup at the Graveyard will mark the first home appearance for the Gamecocks’ latest freshman class, which includes goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo. Earning the starting job in each of USC’s first four games, D’Angelo has quickly made a strong impression, posting a 0.57 goals against average and her first career shutout in last Friday’s 1-0 double overtime victory over Arizona. Showing a smooth transition to the collegiate level at this point, Smith is optimistic about continued progress from D’Angelo as the season goes on.
“I don’t look at her as a freshman. I look at her as a top-level goalkeeper already,” Smith said. “She doesn’t disappoint. She’s been solid and is really someone we can count on in the goal. We’ll be seeing her on Friday night and look forward to seeing her more this season.”
Carolina has also seen productive performances out of its newcomers in field positions, particularly on the defensive end. Andie Romness and Christa Neary have each made two starts through the first four games, contributing at both defense and midfield, while Ali Whitney, who scored the game-winner against Arizona, has made one start. With this early experience, Smith expects her freshmen to continue developing in the coming weeks.
“The games early on have been a great test,” Smith said. “Different players have gotten opportunities to compete and show what they can do. We’ve known its been a work in progress to figure out the lineup with so many new faces. They’ve figured out a lot of the things we’ve been working on, and I feel like they’re that much stronger coming into this weekend than they were two weeks ago.”
The quick adjustment from the freshman class has created a much-needed layer of depth to Carolina’s roster, which will likely come in handy once conference play begins. Having a diverse group has also given Smith plenty of lineup combinations to choose from, giving her plenty of options for different opponents.
“Everyone has a different strength and weakness, and we need to put the group that best complements each other out there,” Smith said. “I think we’ll still be looking to get time from a variety of people, especially as we get into those Friday to Sunday weekends. We have the luxury of only playing one game this weekend, so there may not be as much time for [reserve players], but as we get into those next weekends, we’re going to need everyone to contribute.”