With a shut out win over Clemson Thursday night, the Gamecock women's soccer team secured its third consecutive win for the season and first Palmetto Series rivalry point of the year.
“It’s what we want to do when we come in here against our rival,” head coach Shelley Smith said. “Obviously, we want to get the win. We want to keep progressing as a team. I think tonight we did that.”
It took some time for a young South Carolina team to capitalize on opportunities in the goal during the first half. The game's lone goal came from sophomore Lauren Chang.
Her moment came when she was wedged between defenders, striking the goal in the bottom left corner.
“Honestly, I saw a great ball coming in and their back line was a little bit ball watching and so I'm a left footed player but I got it, brought it down and they were cutting off my left foot so I decided to go inside to the right and the goal really opened up on the far post," Chang said.
The Gamecocks held on to this momentum in the second half while still facing pressure by Clemson on both sides of the ball.
Both teams were given equal chances to score off corners, but the Tigers did not get any shots on goal, which ultimately limited their chances of scoring. However, the Gamecock defense was still tested.
Junior goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski, who did not have to make any saves on goal against Clemson, appreciated the team's preparation on defense for tough opponents like the Tigers.
“We talk about always progressing, getting 1 percent better every day,” Krzeczowski said. “Maintaining that tight defense that we have. So the younger players have definitely caught on and that’s what’s helping us keep these 1-0 leads and winning these big games.”
Even without key defender Grace Fisk, South Carolina managed to beat Clemson for a third consecutive win on the season and earn the first point in the 2018-2019 Palmetto Series.
A record number of fans, 6,354, helped give the home team a burst of momentum in Stone Stadium that. With this victory, the Gamecocks gave credit to the fan base for coming out and cheering them on against one of their top competitors.
“Gamecock Nation really showed up tonight,"Kreczowski said. "That support was unreal. Just seeing the stands fully packed, having everybody around the Stone Stadium was incredible. Definitely helped us, gave us a lift.”