The No. 10 Gamecock women's soccer team (10-1-4) defeated the Texas Longhorns (3-10-1) 5-1 at Stone Stadium on Thursday night.
The first half started with a series of missed shots from both teams and a couple of saved shot attempts from senior goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis. After a missed shot attempt, the Gamecocks were awarded a corner kick to set up their first goal of the game.
Junior midfielder Cuyler Zulauf scored the first goal for the Gamecocks, with sophomore forward Katie Shea Collins assisting on the play. The ball was shot from directly in front of the net after being weaved through a series of defenders.
Collins scored the second goal of the night with a direct shot that went over the heads of multiple Longhorn defenders and found its way into the top of the net.
Graduate midfielder Anna Young scored her first career goal with an assist from freshman midfielder Alexa Pino and Collins. This ended the first half at 3-0 in favor of the Gamecocks.
Junior forward Reagan Schubach scored a goal following a reviewed play, with an assist from Pino. The Gamecocks took a 4-0 lead in the 65th minute of play.
The Longhorns were able to answer back, with freshman defender Annie Gnidula scoring a goal assisted by freshman forward Ava McDonald.
After a series of fouls against both teams, the Gamecocks were able to score again through the center of the net. Collins scored off the assist from freshman forward Mackenzie Johnson.
The game concluded with a Longhorn foul, leaving the Gamecocks in possession of the ball, and the score at 5-1.
Gamecock attack on a roll
South Carolina was able to score several goals Thursday night in a short amount of time.
The first two goals of the night were scored eight minutes apart, with a series of counterattacks and plays downfield in between. This allowed for momentum to rise and for offensive attacks to be made against the Longhorn back line.
The two goals in the second half were scored 11 minutes apart, once again leaving room for offensive plays to build and lead up to another goal.
Game expectations
The Gamecocks last faced the Longhorns in last year's SEC Championship, which Texas won 1-0. Collins said the team knew what to expect and what was needed to secure the victory.
"Texas has always been an amazing program. We knew that," Collins said. "And so, I think we had a chip on our shoulder today. But again, fantastic attackers, defense, all the things. So, we just put our head down, worked hard and just did our thing."
Preparation for Kentucky
The Gamecock women's soccer team will take on the Kentucky Wildcats, who are ranked sixth in the conference. With a one-week break between the two games, head coach Shelley Smith said the team will build on this win going into the match against Kentucky.
"Tonight, we showed a lot of what we've been working towards, as far as our offensive production, our execution and moments defensively," Smith said. "We're able to shut them down, so you've got to just continue and build on that and hopefully stay healthy."
What's next?
The Gamecocks will play the Kentucky Wildcats at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky, on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and ESPN+.