Gamecocks aim to secure sole possession of regular season championship
Winning championships hasn’t always been a realistic expectation for South Carolina’s women’s soccer team, having qualified for the postseason just three times in its first 14 years while making little noise in SEC play.
All of that changed in 2009 when the Gamecocks claimed the first conference title in program history and reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, two years later, those new expectations have only grown stronger.
Fresh off a 3-1 win over Arkansas that extended its SEC winning streak to a school-record seven games, No. 22 USC (14-5, 8-2) enters the week with a guaranteed share of the regular season SEC championship. The only obstacle standing between it and sole possession of the title is a matchup against No. 18 Florida (14-5, 7-3) Friday night in Gainesville.
Now in her 11th season as head coach at Carolina, Shelley Smith said becoming a regular contender in the SEC hasn’t been an easy one.
“A lot of pieces have come together,” Smith said. “You credit the players that come here to play for us. They’re good people and they believe in the things we believe in. Consistency comes from the team really being a team. It’s not a group of individuals.”
Despite creating a winning reputation over the previous two seasons, USC entered 2011 facing uncertainty with the departure of several key players from its SEC title run. Thanks to the immediate impact of its younger players, however, Smith said that uncertainty didn’t last long.
“It’s a big step to the college game and having to jump in with a new team and face some top competition right away,” Smith said. “That’s been a big part of why we’re getting better. They’ve come in and just gotten better themselves and have adjusted well.”
Among those asked to step in was freshman keeper Sabrina D’Angelo. Taking over for Mollie Patton — who left USC with a program-best 0.74 career goals against average and 31 shutouts — D’Angelo has excelled in her first season as a Gamecock, ranking first in the SEC with a goals against average of 0.75 and second with a 0.829 save percentage.
“We felt she was capable. If anyone was going to adjust to the college level, we thought she would,” Smith said. “It’s exciting to see her do so well, to respond to what we’ve been teaching her and to bring so much confidence to the field. It’s given us that much more in the back.”
Smith also credits her seniors for providing much-needed experience on and off the field, with Kayla Grimsley standing out in particular. Besides being a leader and working to maintain the team’s focus, Smith said one of Grimsley’s biggest contributions has been her sense of humor.
“She’s an entertainer; very witty and always keeps you laughing,” Smith said of USC’s new career points leader. “It’s a long and tough process to prepare for the season and then compete at a high level. The way she makes a situation more comical keeps the team loose.
“She’s a competitor as well, so when it comes down to business she’s going to be the one out there fighting and keeping things serious, but she has a good balance of having fun with it. That kind of leadership from her has been a big part of our success.”
The Gators have been no stranger to success since their inception 14 years ago, winning a national title in 1998 and combining for 11 conference titles, including a pair of 1-0 victories over Carolina in 2010 to claim the regular season and SEC tournament crowns. With a chance to bounce back and secure a title of their own, Smith said the Gamecocks aren’t concerned about having to do so on the road.
“It used to be that we were so good at home and then struggled on the road, Smith said. “To win a championship you have to be on the road, so you have to learn how to play there. That’s what we’ve been doing and there’s no intimidation.”