‘Don’t be a melt.’ These Brits guide South Carolina soccer with stellar play, lingo
Recent conversation in the South Carolina women’s soccer group chat turned to weather. Temperatures last week dipped into the 30s, causing at least one Gamecock to ask for support.
Anna Patten: Does anyone have gloves? Does anyone have an Under Armour I can use?
Grace Fisk: Anna, don’t be a melt. It’s not that cold.
A “melt,” according to the two England natives on the USC roster, is what you call someone when they’re coming across as soft. Don’t worry, most of the group chatters had questions, too.
“They’re like, ‘What’s a melt?’” Fisk said. “It’s like when you’re being a wuss about something. I can pinch Anna and she’s gone crazy and I’m like, ‘Don’t be a melt.’”
Fisk, a three-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, is from Bromley, London. Patten, a second-team All-SEC selection, is from Harpenden, England. They’re together on the field as Carolina’s central defenders. They’re together off the field as similarly-speaking best friends.
“We just joke that their accents come out more, they make references more, they always talk about food and have sayings that they say,” said sophomore midfielder Jyllissa Harris, a New Jersey native. “And we all have no clue what it means. But I’d say they’re probably more English around each other.”
Second-seeded South Carolina (17-1-3) hosts Notre Dame (11-7-2) on Friday night in a second round NCAA Tournament match. It’s expected to be the mid-50s by the 6 p.m. kickoff, comfortable weather that shouldn’t require any Gamecock or Fighting Irish player to be particularly bundled up.
Unless you’re a melt, of course.
Fisk and Patten giggled their way through an interview with The State this week at Stone Stadium. The pair agreed with Harris’ assertion of their unique backgrounds coming out more when with each other. They have a ton in common, and not just dialect.
Fisk chose USC after transferring from Penn State after the 2016 season. So when Patten was looking for a new program after leaving Florida State two years later, Fisk naturally served as a guide.
“I’ve always said Grace had kind of always been my agent in the process,” Patten said. “She was always complimentary of the program over here, even before I was coming here.
“So I knew it was a good place to come. And when I was opening up to her about transferring and everything — because she’s gone through that process — it seemed like a good bit to come here. And she was very helpful in the process.”
They’ve known each other since they were 15 and in English national team camp. They roomed together while helping England to a third place finish in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
On a recruiting visit last spring, Patten was headed to meet the South Carolina coaches for a meal — and an announcement — when she contacted Fisk with the scoop.
“I was very happy, obviously,” Fisk said. “I knew the quality of player she was and what she could add to the program. Just being a really good friend of mine, it’s obviously nice to have her here and spend lots of time with her. So, yeah, I was really happy.”
Patten officially became a Gamecock on April 2. She’s since teamed with Fisk and others to form one of the nation’s most stifling defenses. South Carolina has posted 15 shutouts over 21 games.
“I think it’s a huge advantage for Anna to come in here and be able to play alongside Grace,” said Carolina coach Shelley Smith. “They make a great tandem. And we knew that they would coming in. There were a lot of expectations put on them and our defense in general.
“But the two of them have done a great job to live up to those expectations and also really build off each other and get more comfortable playing together throughout the season. So that’s why I think that’s one of the pieces we’ve improved upon all season, them two learning to really play with each other.”
Patten is trying to be part of a second straight national title team after she played a role in FSU’s championship last season. Doing it as a Gamecock, through, just might be more special.
She’ll have Fisk joining her in celebration.
“It would be amazing,” Patten said. “Sometimes my mind does go there. I can’t even put into words how it would be. And I do believe in our team that we can do that. Just got to take each game as it comes.”
NCAA women’s soccer tournament
Who: Notre Dame (11-7-2) at South Carolina (17-1-3)
What: Second round game
Where: Stone Stadium
When: 6 p.m. Friday
TV: ESPN3.com or WatchESPN app
