The No. 17 South Carolina women’s soccer team (10-3-5) lost to the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores (13-3-1) 1-0 on a chilly Sunday afternoon at Stone Stadium.
“It’s a disappointing result,” head coach Shelley Smith said. “They were a great team … Unfortunately, we gave up the goal early, and we just needed a little more time to get one back, but that was unlike us to give up what we did.”
Both teams accumulated fouls early, with six fouls committed between the two teams in the first 12 minutes. Vanderbilt started the first half on the front foot, with a shot from senior midfielder Ally Bollig forcing a save from Gamecock senior goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis in the 16th minute.
The Commodores would find the breakthrough just one minute later, with junior forward Sydney Watts scoring on a cross from close range to give Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead.
Vanderbilt continued to control the game, with the Gamecocks only having one shot by the end of the first half.
The second half was a more competitive half, as the Gamecocks attempted four more shots than their first-half performance. In the 52nd minute, junior forward Reagan Schubach hit a header that was defended well by Commodores senior defender Hannah McLaughlin to prevent tying up the game.
Vanderbilt continued to pressure the Gamecock defense with multiple shots on the Gamecocks. Five of the seven were saved by Tsaousis, and another was deflected to ensure the Commodores didn't increase their 1-0 lead.
South Carolina applied pressure on Vanderbilt's defense late in the game, with freshman midfielder Alexa Pino’s cross hitting the crossbar in the 77th minute. Senior defender Micah Bryant’s effort from long range in the 86th minute also struck the frame of the goal.
Despite the late push, the Gamecocks were unable to find an equalizer, with the game ending 1-0.
“For a team that had a lot of possession and were very dangerous, we gave them very few looks,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, one went in, and that’s the difference between winning and losing games in this sport”
South Carolina fails to create chances early
Vanderbilt were the better side for most of the first half, controlling possession and limiting the Gamecocks to only one shot in the first 45 minutes.
“In the second half, we responded well, (which) showed me what we should’ve done to start the game,“ Smith said. "That’s something that’s haunted us a little bit this year, where in the first half, we’ve not been able to adjust until the second half."
Coach Smith honored
At halftime, a video was played honoring Smith’s 25th anniversary in charge of the women’s soccer team. In that time, she has amassed a 327-143-72 record, winning six SEC Championships and the program’s first NCAA College Cup in 2017.
The regular season has ended with 10 wins, making this the 21st year out of 25 that she has led her team to double-digit wins.
SEC Tournament on deck
This match was the final game of the SEC regular season, with both South Carolina and Vanderbilt qualifying for the SEC tournament in Pensacola, Florida, next weekend.
Vanderbilt secured a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament with the win, finishing second in the standings behind the Arkansas Razorbacks. South Carolina finished as a No. 7 seed and will play a first-round game next weekend against the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide.
“Unfortunately, we had some knocks and injuries that disrupted our play in the last couple of weeks,” Smith said. “It’s nice to have a week off before play where we’ll be a bit more healthy … so I feel like we’ll be in a better position a week from now.”
What’s next?
South Carolina will travel to Florida to face the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.