After losing their secret weapon — Savannah McCaskill — last season, the Gamecock women's soccer team will have to fill the gaps of leadership and experience.
For head coach Shelley Smith, there is no fear regarding what her players are capable of, despite the amount of underclassmen that are on the roster.
"Any time you come off a year like last year, the expectations rise," Smith said. "What that shows, is that they have the ability to play with the best in the country. Players that come here, come here for a reason; to play at the top level and to win SEC Championships.”
The Gamecocks are almost starting from scratch when it comes to experience on the field. With 26 underclassmen, the 2018 team is far different from the one that led a historic 2017 season.
Still, young players have made impacts before. Last season South Carolina’s freshmen accounted for 15 of the team’s 37 goals, so team building is no foreign concept to the Gamecocks.
Simone Wark is the only senior on the roster for South Carolina this season. Wark says she's ready to take on a leadership role and foster chemistry with her new team.
"I don't think it puts more pressure on me at all," Wark said. "I think I have a really cool opportunity to see a lot of underclassmen take on new leadership roles. It's all coming together well, and everybody is playing their part.”
Defensively, the Gamecocks will still be able to rely on goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski and defender Grace Fisk.
Even though they may be a more inexperienced offense due to the departure of McCaskill, last year's leading scorer, the back of the net should not be a concern for South Carolina.
Krzeczowski led the SEC in goals allowed and carried a program record of 16 shutouts, which ultimately contributed to their record breaking season.
"Every game is a new opportunity," Krzeczowski said. "I love thriving on pressure. If you make one mistake back there, it's going to end up being a goal. I love communication and organizing. Somebody once told me that goalkeeping is like the quarterback position; you have a lot of communication, and you get to see the whole field.”
The Gamecocks' starting lineup will remain unknown for now as Smith finds the perfect fit for her team. Despite the fact that there are still some things uncertain for South Carolina, Smith has faith in her team’s ability and only expects more success.
"It's very competitive," Smith said. "We're going to need a learning curve as those young players get put in situations against top opponents. That's the only way we're going to get better. The team we are to start the season, is not the team we'll be at the end of the season. We have to remember that and grow every day."