The South Carolina women's soccer team defeated the College of Charleston Cougars 4-1 Sunday night at Stone Stadium.
The Gamecocks (2-0) erased a one-goal halftime deficit with a complete offensive performance in the second half.
"It wasn't our best showing in the first half," head coach Shelley Smith said after the win. "In the second half, I thought we came out and played much better as a team."
The Cougars (3-1), scored the first goal of the game when redshirt junior forward Faith Slimmer scored in the 17th minute to give her team an early 1-0 advantage.
Both teams entered a defensive stalemate for the rest of the first half. While the Gamecocks attempted six shots, compared to the Cougars' three, it failed to capitalize on any opportunities. South Carolina junior forward and midfielder Reagan Schubach received a yellow card after colliding with a Charleston defender at around the 40th minute of the first half.
While the Cougars never let off their defense, the Gamecocks quickly took control of the match in the second half. Fifth-year forward Corinna Zullo scored in the 46th minute, tying the match at 1-1. Fifth-year forward Catherine Barry also found the back of the net soon after for her second goal of the season, which gave South Carolina a 2-1 lead.
Zullo scored her second goal of the match at the 61st minute, making the score 3-1 Gamecocks. Barry scored her second goal against the Cougars in the 82nd minute, making it 4-1 South Carolina.
Gamecocks offense comes alive in second half
Coming off an impressive offensive performance in its' season-opening 5-1 win over Furman, South Carolina had a slow offensive start against the Cougars.
After being shut out in the first half, the Gamecocks put together a successful show in the final 45 minutes of the match. South Carolina routinely controlled the ball in the second half due to an aggressive offensive style.
"We did a good job to dominate play from the start and didn't find the goal, and when you get scored on, it changes kind of the momentum," Smith said. "We didn't respond all that well. We worked, but not together."
South Carolina attempted 16 shots in the game, compared to Charleston's eight. The Gamecocks also had six corner kicks, in comparison to the Cougars' three.
"Our work rate was good, but we also worked in smart ways, and it made a big difference," Smith said. "It was great to find the back of the net. When you do that, it changes everything. Give a lot of credit to the girls to comeback and keep their head up and keep going to finally get the goal they needed."
Experienced duo lifts Gamecocks
Forwards Barry and Zullo gave the Gamecocks a wave of momentum in the second half. The two scored all four of South Carolina's goals against the Cougars.
"We can count on them to lift us when we need to, and it was great to see them respond," Smith said. "That's what you need out of your experienced players, and a lot of young players had opportunities, and they created good chances for us as well."
The two goals by Barry lifted her total on the young season to three. Zullo's two goals were her first of the season.
Barry and Zullo both have decorated tenures in Columbia. Barry was named a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American after 2023. Last season, Zullo played 66 minutes for the Gamecocks against Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
'If we have opportunities, we've got to put them away'
Through its' first two contests against Furman and the College of Charleston, the Gamecocks have scored nine goals. While Smith doesn't expect the numbers to continue, she's confident in her team's offensive ability.
"That kind of production, it's great to see," Smith said. "We know it's not always gonna be the case. Soccer is a close sport number-wise, so if we have opportunities, we've got to put them away. And we've been doing that in these first few games."
What's next?
South Carolina will return to action on Aug. 29 when travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m., and the match will be streamed on Big Ten+.