Senior stars in final regular season home match
Sunday's match against Arkansas marked the final regular season home appearance for Kayla Grimsley and the other seven members of South Carolina's senior class. It's safe to say the Lakeland, Fla., native made it count.
After coming within one point of the program's career scoring record with an assist in the first half, Grimsley eclipsed that total with a goal in the second half, giving the Gamecocks all the offense they'd need to post a 3-1 victory over the Razorbacks.
"It was unbelievable," Grimsley said. "Senior day is an exciting day in itself, and to break that record here in the last home game means that much more to me."
The record-setting score came in the opening moments of the second period. Running onto a pass from fellow senior Kortney Rhoades, Grimsley fired a shot from the top of the box that sailed just over the gloves of Arkansas keeper Emily Lillard, earning her 116th career point and breaking the record held by Jennie Ondo for the last 12 years.
"[Kortney's] been one of my best friends since she got here," Grimsley said. "She hit the milestone with me in Tennessee when I broke the assists record, and she hit the milestone with me today. It feels incredible."
Grimsley's productive afternoon began in the 21st minute. Holding a 1-0 lead thanks to a Rhoades goal 16 minutes earlier, Grimsley ran onto a cross from Christa Neary that was on its way over the Arkansas end line and managed to head the ball back into middle of the box. Fielding it there was Danielle Au, who proceeded to send a one-touch shot into the back of the net to extend the lead to 2-0.
"She's always amazing you with her ability and wants to set up players. That's why you see how many assists she's accumulated," coach Shelley Smith said. "Plays like that don't surprise you anymore. It's kind of an expectation for Kayla Grimsley."
Playing in front of the home crowd for possibly the last time, Rhoades said she wasn't surprised to see Grimsley set the record this weekend.
"We talked a bit before the game, and she knew she was two points away from tying it and three away from getting it," Rhoades said. "I told her, 'You play for the team, and you've always said you have, but today you know you need to get the job done,' and she said, 'Absolutely.'"
The Razorbacks (4-13, 2-8 SEC) managed to avoid a shutout thanks to a Beth Stratton goal in the 77th minute but failed to get much else going over the course of the afternoon. The USC defense held Arkansas to nine shots on the day and just three saves on goal, making the performance that much more memorable for senior defender Ellen Fahey.
"I just had a really good feeling going into today," Fahey said. "Our spirits were really high, and our intensity was really high. The environment felt different. It was just energy-filled, and I loved it."
The win was the seventh straight for the Gamecocks (14-5, 8-2), marking the longest conference winning streak in program history, and combined with LSU's victory over Florida, the team has earned a guaranteed share of the SEC regular season championship. USC will attempt to earn the title outright on the road Friday against the Gators.
"We couldn't be more motivated," Smith said. "We've been working so hard to get to the point where we can battle for a championship again. We couldn't be more excited going into Gainesville with that riding on it. Lack of motivation won't be a factor on Friday."