The South Carolina women's soccer team got off to a familiar start Thursday night, as junior forward Savannah McCaskill slid a shot past the keeper to give the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. What happened next wasn't as familiar for Shelley Smith's club, as LSU's 26th minute goal was the first the Gamecocks have allowed in the first half all season.
Some trends stayed the same however, as a second half goal from senior midfielder Chelsea Drennan scored the go-ahead goal in the 74th minute, and the No. 8 Gamecocks would go on to win 3-1. South Carolina remained undefeated, improving its record to 9-0-1 on the year.
The Gamecocks had a significant shot advantage throughout the match, and the score was still tied as the clock started to wind down. LSU keeper Caroline Brockmeier had seven saves already, but Drennan's shot from the left side of the box was able to find the back of the net, giving the Gamecocks the lead and the momentum.
"It's so nice to be at home and have that crowd behind you," Coach Smith said. "It does give you that extra lift."
The momentum would only build from there, as just 72 seconds later, McCaskill drew a foul in the box, leading to a penalty kick. Senior forward Sophie Groff beat the keeper easily, putting South Carolina up 3-1.
"That's one of my biggest things as a player," McCaskill said of her role as a facilitator on the offense. "I like to get the ball on my feet and set up other people."
McCaskill's early goal was unassisted, as the All-SEC forward slid a shot across the face of goal past the keeper into the bottom left corner. The goal was McCaskill's 10th of the season, making her second only to BYU's Ashley Hatch (with 11 goals) for the top spot in the country.
"I think she really focused a lot on her speed and quickness over the summer, and you can see that on the field," Smith said of her team's leading goal-scorer. "Her overall fitness is at the best level she's ever had, and it's showing because she's just able to break away from players."
The South Carolina defense allowed just four shots in the match, but the first-half goal broke a streak of 398 scoreless minutes for Gamecock opponents. Freshman goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski made just one save on the night, improving her record to 6-0-1 this season. Smith credited the back line for the strong performance: "Big credit to Kaleigh (Kurtz) and Paige (Bendell) in the back, who won a lot of headers and won their battles against some dangerous attackers."
The Gamecocks will be back in action against Kentucky Sunday at Stone Stadium when they look to improve their unbeaten streak to 11 games. The match will begin at 2 p.m.