South Carolina women’s soccer shuts out Clemson for third consecutive win over Tigers
South Carolina women’s soccer continued its mastery of rival Clemson on Thursday, topping the Tigers 1-0 at home and earning USC the first point in the 2018-2019 Palmetto Series.
In a back-and-forth contest in which both squads had solid chances, the Gamecocks (3-0) were the only team to get shots on goal, as all five of Clemson’s attempts were either blocked or sailed wide.
“Obviously, we want to get the win, we want to keep progressing as a team, and tonight I think we did that, and to do that against a strong team like Clemson and, when the emotions are high, to be able to play through it and get the job done, I’m very proud of these girls,” USC coach Shelley Smith said.
South Carolina got quick starts to both halves in front of 6.354 fans at Stone Stadium, a women’s soccer record. Just over a minute into the contest, Gamecock senior forward Simone Wark recorded the game’s first shot off a free kick crossed into the box.
Just over two minutes into the second half, freshman midfielder Selma Sol Magnusdottir took off on a run down the right sideline, just barely keep the ball in bounds, then delivering a cross to sophomore forward Lauren Chang at the top of the penalty box. After taking two touches to settle the ball, Chang slotted home a goal into the lower left corner, easily beating Clemson goalkeeper Maddie Weber to give USC the lead
“I saw a great ball coming in, and their back line was a little bit ball-watching,” Chang said. “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.”
Through three games this season, Sol Magnusdottir has made her way onto the scoresheet every time, contributing a goal and two assists. She nearly created another goal in the first half, delivering an impressive cross from one corner of the field to the other to sophomore forward Luciana Zullo, who sprang free wide. Her low shot across the mouth of the goal, however, was saved.
South Carolina junior goalkeeper Mikayla Krzeczowski recorded her second clean sheet of the season, not needing to make any saves. She did, however, have to come off her line several times to collect dangerous crosses, as Clemson collected five corner kicks to USC’s two and scrambled late to attempt to tie the game with a series of good chances.
“They had a lot of service in the box that she cleaned up and didn’t need to save so many,” Smith said. “That had a lot to do with how our defense did, but also how she came in and won balls in the air. They want to serve balls in, put things on top of us, long throw-ins and serving the ball well anywhere in their offensive half, so I think she did a great job to command her 18(-yard box).”
The victory marks South Carolina’s third consecutive win against Clemson, and the Gamecocks attained it without star junior defender Grace Fisk, currently competing in the U20 World Cup, and with last season’s second-leading scorer, Elexa Bahr, making a limited return from a foot injury.
On Sunday, Clemson returns home to host Indiana, while USC travels to Raleigh, North Carolina, to face N.C. State. The Gamecocks will have to do so, however, without Sol Magnusdottir, as she leaves for roughly a week and a half to help her home country, Iceland, in World Cup qualifiers.
“I’m sad to miss three games, but it’s an amazing opportunity and it’s going to help me the next few years here,” Sol Magnusdottir said.
This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 8:55 PM.