Returning home after defeating Georgia, the women’s soccer team will go up against Kennesaw State for the first time in history Monday.
In Athens on Friday, South Carolina managed to beat Georgia 3-1 for its first SEC win of the year.
One of the three goals came from sophomore Savannah McCaskill. This keeps her in the lead for most goals scored on the team with five. McCaskill in the tied her overall goal count for last season.
Head coach Shelley Smith commented on the excellent game by McCaskill with a mention of how some sophomores will play after a great freshman year. After just a few games, she knows McCaskill has not lost a step on the field.
“She’s been able to still find a way to be dangerous and a threat and just an excellent player and it showed tonight,” Smith said. “She’s someone who has been key to our attack and will continue to be.”
Senior Raina Johnson had two assists for the game with the first goal by junior Sophie Groff and in the third goal from McCaskill. Sophomore Abbey Crider as goalkeeper is now 3-0 for the season with the win against the Bulldogs, making two saves. Georgia is now 0-5-1 for the season.
To break the tie in the game 1-1, sophomore Anna Conklin scored her first goal of the season, putting the Gamecocks in the lead.
Smith was impressed by what Georgia brought to the table with its goal in the beginning of the game. The high intensity came from both teams and she was proud of what her team did to respond to the Bulldogs.
“That’s what we need out of this team; not everything is going to go your way and when it doesn’t, how do you respond,” Smith said. “They did a good job at putting pressure on in the second half and give us those opportunities. Everyone did their jobs and did them well.”
For the upcoming game, junior Chelsea Drennan hopes to improve her team-high five assists for the season ranking at No. 2 in the SEC. Drennan has 24 in her career, which ties her for second in school history.
Kennesaw State travels to Stone Stadium to take on South Carolina Monday night. The Owls are 3-3-1 this season, with their most recent game against Furman coming to a loss 3-0.
Kennesaw State had an outstanding first game to open its season, winning 12-0 against Alabama A&M. Junior Brittany Reed is a player to look out for, who has scored seven goals this season, six of which were in the game against Alabama A&M. The seventh goal came from a loss to Georgia State 3-2.
Having three starts this season, sophomore Ashley Zambetti will most likely be in the net for the Owls against the Gamecocks.
Home field advantage is always a plus for the Gamecocks as they lead the nation in attendance in just four games with 17,043 total and an average of 4,261. The game is set to start at 6 p.m.