Gamecocks aim to beat Crimson Tide, stay in SEC East race
Nearing the halfway point in its SEC schedule, South Carolina’s women’s soccer team is once again in the thick of the race for the SEC East title.
It will look to stay in the running for a division title this weekend, beginning with a Friday home match against Alabama, followed by Auburn on Sunday.
After four conference matches, USC (8-5, 2-2) finds itself in a four-way tie for second place with Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee, and just one game behind reigning SEC champion Florida. Accustomed to the high level of competition within the division, coach Shelley Smith hopes the Gamecocks can stay on track in their upcoming matchups.
“[The SEC East] has always been the stronger side of the conference most years,” Smith said. “You’re always expected to be in a very tight race. We’ve been fortunate enough to be one of the top teams the past couple years, and this year we still have that opportunity. Our goal is to continue to battle and get those points.”
Carolina has showed a trend of quickly recovery from poor outings this season, scoring two or more goals directly after a defeat on three occasions this season. Smith said this quality should prove to be important as SEC play continues.
“I’m happy with the way the team’s responded every time we’ve gone out,” Smith said. “We’ve had our letdowns here and there, and I think this team has evolved to a point where they’ve had enough learning opportunities, adversity, challenges and positives to build on. I know we’re ready to continue battling to be a top team in the SEC.”
The Gamecocks’ latest bounce-back performance came in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Vanderbilt. Two days after a 1-0 loss to Kentucky, USC scored twice in the first five minutes and added one more goal in the waning moments of the match, all of which was broadcast to a national audience on ESPNU. The match provided a big stage, but Smith doesn’t believe it had much of an effect on her players’ mindsets.
“Nerves were a little high just because everyone starts to put a little pressure on themselves when you lose a game here or there,” Smith said. “That’s why we talked about going back to focusing on one game at a time. All that mattered that day was Vanderbilt, and they got the job done. That’s the same thing going into this weekend. All we’re thinking about is Alabama Friday night.”
The scoring barrage was led by three of USC’s eight seniors, jump-starting an offense that had gone scoreless two nights earlier. Smith said the performance was just another example of how important that veteran presence has been to the Gamecocks in 2011.
“They’ve seen it, done it, lived it and they’re trying to make sure their message goes out,” Smith said. “Having that many people that have been through it definitely helps when you’re up against the wall. They’re also getting toward the end of their final season, and they want it to keep going, so they’re doing their part to make sure they continue to motivate the other players and realize the importance of each time they’re out there.”
Smith also offered praise for the play of her freshmen, who have continued to see significant playing time through the first part of the conference schedule. With their level of play still high, Smith said she expects them to see a similar amount of playing time from here on out.
“Doing as well as they did to establish themselves right away, you’d hope they’d continue to improve and produce on the field, and that’s what they’ve done,” Smith said. “It seems like they’ll continue to learn their roles well, so our expectation is that they’ll continue to contribute throughout the remainder of the season.”