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2020 South Carolina women's soccer

FCB 2013 treble

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Dec 14, 2016
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As of now the plan is to play eight matches in eight weeks along with a SEC tournament at the end of season(see statement below from the SEC officials).

Really exciting to hear that the NCAA granted all fall sports an extra year of eligibility. If the roster can remain intact from this season to the 2021 season, then I really think South Carolina has a chance at winning the Women's College Cup.


The 2020 SEC soccer season will consist of an eight-match, Conference-only regular season over eight weeks of competition beginning September 18, followed by the SEC Championship, November 13-22, in Orange Beach, Alabama. All 14 schools will compete in the SEC Championship with each team guaranteed at least two matches.

"We are all excited to hear the news and to have some certainty," South Carolina women's soccer head coach Shelley Smith said. "We have been preparing to play and to now know the work we have been putting in will be able to be tested is great. We are looking forward to getting on the field and playing against our conference opponents."

SOCCER

  • Season runs weekend of September 18-November 8 (eight total weeks)
  • Eight (8) regular season matches plus at least two (2) matches at the SEC Tournament
  • Regular season includes six (6) divisional opponents and two (2) crossover opponents (4 home/4 away)
  • One (1) match per week - play dates will be either Friday, Saturday or Sunday based on campus activities & television.
  • Matches may move to Thursday on the fifth weekend of the season for make-up dates.
  • 14-team Conference Tournament - Nov. 13-22; each team guaranteed at least two (2) matches

 
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I'll get you started! Gamecocks have a lot to replace on defense as they graduated their All-American goalkeeper, who was a four year starter and their 2X-SEC Defender of the Year in Grace Fisk. So they'll have an unproven keeper for sure. They do return some other good defenders, including Anna Patten.
The Harris kid in the midfield is pretty fun to watch and might be their most dynamic player from what I recall because she pretty much plays the whole field. Chang isn't bad in the midfield.
In terms of big time goal scorers - they graduated Bahr, who was pretty good (but no Savannah McCaskill). The other returners are capable but haven't been huge threats like McCaskill was (tough comparison). Zullo is good when healthy and I've heard her sister, who is a freshman, is pretty good too.
A lot will depend on last year's freshmen who have a year under their belt and can they make a big leap this year. I don't know much about any of this year's freshmen. I do have confidence in Coach Smith because she always puts a competitive team out there. I don't watch a lot of soccer, but because my girls like it, we usually go to some matches and I've come to enjoy it through the.
 
As of now the plan is to play eight matches in eight weeks along with a SEC tournament at the end of season(see statement below from the SEC officials).

Really exciting to hear that the NCAA granted all fall sports an extra year of eligibility. If the roster can remain intact from this season to the 2021 season, then I really think South Carolina has a chance at winning the Women's College Cup.


The 2020 SEC soccer season will consist of an eight-match, Conference-only regular season over eight weeks of competition beginning September 18, followed by the SEC Championship, November 13-22, in Orange Beach, Alabama. All 14 schools will compete in the SEC Championship with each team guaranteed at least two matches.

"We are all excited to hear the news and to have some certainty," South Carolina women's soccer head coach Shelley Smith said. "We have been preparing to play and to now know the work we have been putting in will be able to be tested is great. We are looking forward to getting on the field and playing against our conference opponents."

SOCCER


  • Season runs weekend of September 18-November 8 (eight total weeks)
  • Eight (8) regular season matches plus at least two (2) matches at the SEC Tournament
  • Regular season includes six (6) divisional opponents and two (2) crossover opponents (4 home/4 away)
  • One (1) match per week - play dates will be either Friday, Saturday or Sunday based on campus activities & television.
  • Matches may move to Thursday on the fifth weekend of the season for make-up dates.
  • 14-team Conference Tournament - Nov. 13-22; each team guaranteed at least two (2) matches
Stanford and UCLA are just too good.
 
Preview

Defense

Lost two All Americans, Fisk and K, lost another who was all conference, Milazzo. We only gave 4 goals in 13 conference matches. This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. But I think we will have as good or better stats than last year.

GK
Hinz and Fox are both taller and more athletic than K. Hinz a soph. was national GK of the year in HS and Fox was on the national U16 and U18 teams. Both have great hands and can reach the high shots. Will they match K’s communication, leadership, and in your face attitude?

Central defenders
Patten is an All American and has already been called up to the senior English National Team. Tall 5’11” and strong, she is weapon on corners and great on PKs. Last year teams decided to stop Fisk from starting the offense from the back. Patten took over and while not as talented dribbling was a better passer especially on long balls to our speedy forwards.

Hallie Meadows will replace Fisk. Tall 5’11” and strong. Her dad Adam was 4 year OL starter for UGA and 9 years with the Colts. Hallie has great anticipation, ball skills and is athletic.

Outside Backs
Sara Eskew will start at left back. Strong and fit, can play all 90. Wish she was little faster but tactically sound. Ball skills to advance the attack.

Sutton Jones is a midfielder who pushed back to D. Replaced Milazzo after her knee injury and we didn’t miss a beat.

Paige Mikula, another converted midfielder. Very fast and jumps into the attack aggressively. Her speed covers her mistakes almost all the time. Looking to see how her judgement has improved

Holding Midfielder
Jyllissa Harris, best athlete on the team! Will play in the NWSL some day. Very fast, incredible balance through contact. Ends threats before they can happen. 90 minute player

Jamie Smith is the best defensive coach in the league, period! Even when he had inferior talent, we were always organized and prepared. This group is not quite as fast as last years but plenty fast enough. They won’t get outsmarted or bullied. Last year our height and strength was at times a drawback, Vandy(tie and a win), UF(tie), and Wash. St.(loss) physically overmatched us at times. Not this year. For the last 5 years the parts have changed but not the excellence. We have produced the Last four defensive players of the year, Patten should make it five
 
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Have they issued a seating policy yet? If we get a nice, truly autumn day, it might make for an actual attendance opportunity for me at a sporting event.
 
Have they issued a seating policy yet? If we get a nice, truly autumn day, it might make for an actual attendance opportunity for me at a sporting event.
No seating policy yet. Usually the students are in full force for the early matches. They got double points for football seating, but that ain’t happening. Stadium holds app. 8k and crowd for home conference games last year averaged 1,700. Should be plenty of space
 
Midfielders

I have already discussed Harris on the defensive side. On offense she will be bigger, faster and stronger than any opposing midfielder. Has a laser shot and will take the majority of free kicks on sets pieces. Threat to score from outside the box. This ability opens up the field. Jyllissa’s dad Played two seasons for the Falcons and is a great guy. Swears that Jyllissa’s younger sister is the better player and she is in HS

The remaining two spots will be filled by three players unless the two freshmen break into the rotation.
Lauren Chang is a crafty left footed player. Holds the ball well when challenged and is an excellent distributor. Has a rocket left foot shot but can score with her right. Takes almost all the corners when she is in the game. She is also a vocal glue of the team player. I gotten to know her parents and they are great and funny folks especially Fred. They are both HS band directors in metro Atlanta. Lauren had more scholarship offers in music than soccer I do believe.

Samantha Chang is not related to Lauren. Last year their was a sequence on the broadcast of the UF game, “Chang passes to Chang who is guarded by Chung.” Sam is Canadian and Shelley told me last year prior to the season she was the best player on the team. She never quite hit her stride, first year and was still recovering from torn ACL. Very athletic with ball skills and a scoring threat.

Claire Griffiths, one of my favs! Maybe 5’2” with a motor that never stops and just covers the field! Fast and NEVER backs down. Excellent passer and sees the field. Takes corners when L Chang is out. She is one of those players that her teammates love and the opposition thinks is a pain in the ass. Older sister starts for NCSU

Fr. Brianna Behm, pronounced beam. HS All American from Va. appears to be a player. Grandfather produced the original Wonder Woman movie and also a marginally successful TV series......Dallas :)

Fr. Rylee Forster from Fl. Excellent HS player and led team in scoring for three year, rare for a midfielder. Ran track and holds school record in 400. On state championship 4x800 team
 
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Forwards
The deepest and most talented position on the team.
Luciana Zullo and Ryan Gareis(both left footed) are probably the two fastest outside forwards in the league. EVERY team in the league either struggled or failed to keep up with their pace. Their ability to stretch a defense was under capitalized on last year because of our center forward play.

Bahr was a good, not great finisher. She was an average distributor and turned the ball over way too much. Dixon and Tanner at times filled this spot with middling success as they are both wing players. Tanner has a great gift for drawing fouls and doesn’t flop, a rare combo.

This year center forward will be a strength with Cat Berry. She is 6’1” and SOLID! Has started on the U18 national team for the last two years. She has the size and strength to hold the ball even when double teamed. She is also capable of using those assets to create space for her own shot. Sees the field and passes quite well. She will be all conference as a Fr. and All American before she graduates. The only unknown is how many minutes she can give us. If she can give us 70 minutes a match, we hoist an SEC trophy.

Depth
Very deep. Tanner would start on at least half schools in the league. Not elite speed like Zullo and Gareis but with her ball handling and ability to make space creates lots of dangerous situations. She may start so that we can bring Zullo or Gareis in as subs for a wicked change of pace.

Cam Dixon was expected to have big freshman year and it never materialized. She has all the tools but I think the transition to college was a little harder than expected. The same goes for Riane Coman. Also very talented and deserved more time that just wasn’t enough to go around. She may move back to midfield.

Soph. Eveleen Hahn was the Gatorade player of the year in NC her senior year, but found very little PT. The heels wanted her but she came here. Could break out.

Fr. Corinna Zullo, has elite speed. She was a prolific scorer. Fearless like her sister.

Ranya Sehaji, another Fr who was a prolific scorer. Both parents played college athletics

This is a deep group with LOTS of speed. If Berry is good enough to demand double teams, and I think she is, we will score well in build up play. With at least three players with break away speed expect a lot of 1v1’s
 
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