USC women’s soccer using NCAA loss as motivation entering 2016

The South Carolina women’s soccer team had its season end in disappointing fashion last year as the Gamecocks lost at home in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but coach Shelley Smith believes her team learned a valuable lesson that will help USC in 2016.

USC opens the regular season at Oklahoma on Friday after beating High Point 2-0 in an exhibition match last weekend.

Expectations are high as Smith feels she has her most talented team in some time.

“The team came back ready to play and they’ve done very well already. We’re ahead of where we’ve been in the past preseasons, I think because we have a large group returning, a large group of seniors,” she said. “They know what we’re looking for, what we expect, what we’re trying to do.”

The Gamecocks were upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament by UNCW last November, falling 2-0 at Stone Stadium.

USC would have advanced and faced one of the top teams in the country in Virginia with a win in the opening round but saw its season end.

“A lot of them have said they made the mistake of looking past the first round,” Smith said. “Virginia was a daunting task to go there and take on the No. 1 team. That’s something you can’t think about, and I think some of them thought about that instead of playing and taking care of business.”

The Gamecocks are focused on not looking past anyone this season.

“Through good and bad we’re going to stick together and keep our eye on the prize by focusing on every game and the process, not the end result,” Smith said.

Savannah McCaskill returns after leading the team in goals last year with 10 and finishing second in assists with nine.

USC also returns Chelsea Drennan, who led the Gamecocks in assists with 10, and Sophie Groff, who finished third on the team in points with 16 despite missing the second half of the year with a torn ACL.

Smith also mentioned Elexa Bahr as a newcomer to keep an eye on.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie on the team,” Smith said. “I believe that if we can keep this team going consistent and stay healthy they have the potential to be one of the best groups for sure.”