The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 28, 2001, Page 9, Image 9
USC tops Davidson
BY KYLE ALMOND
THE GAMECOCK
- For the second straight sea
son, Joey Worthen was the pri
mary target of taunting, heckling
and all-out harassment from
Davidson’s soccer fans.
For the second straight sea
son, it was Worthen who had the
last laugh.
The senior forward from Salt
Lake City scored what proved to
be the game-winning goal
Wednesday night in the Game
cocks’ 4-1 victory over the Wild
cats. Worthen had the game-win
ning goal last season against
Davidson as well.
A crowd of 1,329 showed up at
the Graveyard for Wednesday’s
matchup, but they weren’t all
rooting for USC. The visiting
team had plenty of fans at the
game, and many who were still
bitter at Worthen after last sea
son tried their best to get in the
forward’s head.
“Every year, we play these
guys and it’s the same people out
there, giving me the same stuff,”
Worthen said of Davidson’s fans.
“It’s good to get a win like this
against them, and anything I can
do to quiet them is good. I like it.
It’s extra motivation.”
Worthen’s goal in the 59th
minute silenced the Davidson
fans temporarily. Nearly 10 min
utes later, he silenced them for
good.
With Davidson pushing for
ward and looking for an equaliz
er, Worthen countered down the
left wing, sprinting with the ball
towards the box. A Wildcat de
fender slowed him down, but
Worthen turned and took a shot
on goal, hitting the crossbar. Jor
dan Quinn was there to capital
ize, heading the rebound past a
beaten Davidson goalkeeper.
Joey Worthen stifled Davidson again, photo bytravis lynn
Quinn’s goal gave the No. 17
Gamecocks (5-1) a comfortable
two-goal cushion, and Davidson
(5-2) couldn’t recover.
Senior defender Ryan Stock
ing added another goal for USC
in the 82nd minute, capping a
four-goal outburst in the second
half.
“[Davidson] is a team that
doesn’t give up goals easily,” said
USC head coach Mark Berson.
“For us, this is a real solid ac
complishment.”
For the third time this season,
the Gamecocks had to come from
behind. Davidson’s Jon Tetirick
opened the scoring in the 28th
minute off a pass from Chris Nor
bet. Despite out-shooting their
opponents, the Gamecocks went
into the locker room at halftime
down 1-0.
It didn’t take long for Caroli
na to tie the score after the break.
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Da
ley scored at the 53:44 mark, beat
ing Davidson keeper Soren John
son one-on-one after a run down
the right side.
Five minutes later, Worthen
put USC ahead for good with help
from Daley and Jack Cummings.
“It was a good cross by Jack,
and then Daley was running
across the middle of the box,”
Worthen said. “He kind of just
laid it back and set it right up
there for me, about six yards out.
All I had to do was put it on
goal.”
The goal was Worthen’s
fourth of the season. Three of
those have been game-winners.
Berson said he was pleased
with the way his team respond
ed to an early deficit.
“It just showed a lot of char
acter on our team’s part to hang
in there and come back and an
swer,” Berson said, “I was real
proud of them. I thought they
showed the characteristics of a
very good team in coming back.”
USC will look for its fifth
straight win Sunday when it
takes plays host to the College of
Charleston. Carolina has domi
nated the Cougars over the
years, winning 14 of their 17
meetings and only losing once.
The game is scheduled for a 2
p.m. start, after the women’s
game against Florida.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Women open SEC play
BY BONNIE BERKES
THE GAMECOCK
The South Carolina women's
soccer team (5-0-2) rolls into its
SEC opener with an undefeated
record this season after only man
aging four wins last season.
Conference play opens for USC
at noon Sunday in Gainesville,
Fla., against SEC three-time
champion Florida.
The Lady Gators (3-2-1) lead the
Lady Gamecocks in the all-time
series 8-0. The Lady Gamecocks
broke the team's record for the
longest undefeated streak at Wof
ford on Sunday by going their first
seven games without a loss.
“We expect hard work and in
tensity from each player as well
as the team,” said USC head coach
Shelley Smith. “We play each of
our opponents equally, no matter
their team status,” Smith said.
Senior Abby Wambach leads
Florida in goals with four. Fol
lowing Wambach is senior Andi
Sellers with three goals. Florida
goalkeepers Jordan Kellgren and
Regan Wiesemann have allowed
seven goals and have saved 21.
Kellgren has been responsible for
two shutouts this season. „
Freshman USC midfielder Ash
ley Gosnell leads the team in goals
and points as she has put in five
goals this season for A total of ten
points.
Following behind Gosnell's
record is sophomore Becca Ep
stein with three goals and eight
points. Junior Melinda Carter and
senior Lydia Bienias have both
contributed seven points on the
season.
The Gamecocks have outshot
their opponents 151-26 this season.
Sophomore Melissa Hutson has
led the Gamecocks in attempted
shots this season with 20. Follow
ing Hutson is junior Melinda
Carter, with 19, and freshman
Ashley William, with 17.
Co-Captains Lydia Bienias and
Melinda Carter have combined for
eight goad assists.
The play of goalkeepers Car
olyn Ortega and Elise Matthews
has been one of the driving forces
behind USC's five shutouts this
season. Ortega has made nine
saves this season, and Matthews
has added 13.
Carolina has a 2-0-1 record on
the road this season. In addition
to Wofford, the Gamecocks
knocked off San Diego State in an
early-season tournament.
After playing Florida, the
Gamecocks will play against
Clemson on Oct. 7.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Foy
USC can go 11-0,
with a little luck
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
perfect record.
The point is, it could
happen. Will it? Only time will
tell. This team is not ready to
play a Miami. But they could
be. And if they do happen to go
undefeated, don't be surprised
to see a Gamecock football
team poised to take on any
opponent. With a little bit of
luck, and thanks to some big
wins already, Pasadena may
not be entirely out of the
question.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@hotmail.com.
Gamecock Sports Challenge
\
i ALABAMA AT
W 15 USC
14 LSUAT7
TENNESSEE
11KSU AT 3
OKUHOMA
12 UCLA AT 19
OREGON ST.
22 ILL AT
«[7 MICHIGAN
23 MSUAT16
NTWESTERN
CLEMSONAT
9 GA. TECH
_ __
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Football
USC-Alabama
will be tight game
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
sive end John Stamper and ju
nior Langston Moore. Defensive
coordinator Charlie Strong has
not been afraid to make use of the
team's depth, so expect Jonathan
Alston, Jason Caper and highly
touted junior college transfer
Shaun Smith to make appear
ances. Contrary to what was ex
pected of the defensive line by
many, Carolina has stopped the
run very well.
ADVANTAGE: USC
Passing: Watts, who beat out
senior Andrew Zow for the start
ing job, has completed 56 percent
of his passes for 465 yards and 2
touchdowns. This year, as op
posed to others, is absent of a
quarterback controversy be
tween the two. Last year, the con
troversy was part of the problem,
creating turmoil on the team.
The rest of the Tide seem to have
rallied around Watts, since they
know who the quarterback will
be this year.
USC s pass defense this season
has been as good as advertised.
Comerback Andre Goodman is
coming off an excellent game
against Mississippi State. His
performance earned him SEC de
fensive player of the week hon
ors with one interception, 4 tack
les and 4 pass break-ups. Good
man wasn't even the most high
ly touted comerback on the team
coming into the season. That dis
tinction would belong to senior
All-American comerback Shel
don Brown, who, along with the
rest of the secondary, has done a
great job. Senior safety Antoine
Nesmith will be back from injury
this week.
ADVANTAGE: USC
Special Teams
Kicking/Punting: The Game
cocks special teams unit, though
not extremely strong, is greatly
improved.
Sophomore kicker Daniel .
Weaver made three huge field
goals last week to help seal the
victory over Mississippi State
and improved to an unusual (for
the Gamecocks) 5-5 for the sea
son. ■
Tyeler Dean has been excel
lent punting the ball. Dean has
averaged nearly 40 yards per
punt and has shown the ability
to punt the ball with a lot of
height.
Alabama's special teams unit
is solid with kicker Neal Thomas.
Thomas has a league-leading six
field goals and has one of the
strongest legs in the nation.
' ADVANTAGE: EVEN
Returning: Brewer and
Alexander will handle kickoff re
turn duties, but neither has
shown the ability to break a long
one this year.
Derek Watson hasn't returned
a kickoff since his 66-yarder to
open up the Georgia game. Holtz
has said Watson will not be re
turning kicks for the rest of the
season in order to have energy
for offensive possessions.
Brewer will return punts, with
the basic duty to catch and not
fumble.
Receivers Freddie Milons and
Antonio Carter provide a lethal
combination deep on kickoffs for
Alabama. Milons also provides a
big threat returning punts.
ADVANTAGE: ALABAMA
Outlook
The Gamecocks should win
against Alabama, but might have
trouble scoring much more than
their team average of 20 points.
Both teams will play well on de- ,
fense, but look for USC's defen
sive backfield to come away with
a few turnovers to seal the victo
ry.
FINAL SCORE: USC 23, Alabama 14
11 \\ 1/ WZ*^ \fy^ / I I
\ \ //yo« are rtWy for a RFAI. Tailgate Party, then come on by! 11 /
V ~-—*\ tlie 3rd Great Gamecock ^
rmuiivKiii
September 29 (USC vs. ALABAMA) 10 am -12 noon W \
featuring music by the: WIL SEABROOK BAND Mil
Seawell's Parking Lot >1125 Rosewood Drive 1
yj across the street from "the ROCKET" at the State Fairgrounds.
// The best part is that it is all FREE: Music, Lots of Great Food, Drinks & Door Prizes. I
// Souvenirs for the first 250 USC students in attendance at each Tailgate Party. /
L^^f] General Parking is available at Seawell's for $10 per vehicle. <cC\Tl
// THIS TAILGATE PARTY IS AN AUCOHOL St OTHER DRUG-FREE ENVIRONMENT sponsored by the Russell House Alcohol & Drug Plenum. / / /
M J Map* fand»$pwwdedbr agumnveted fr»nihcIS Dejtanm«nofEducationSafeSc Omg-ftwSeta*Program TTvPmiwmntiHigh-tosk Drmkinjt&VtokM Beta** An*mgCtifcgeSnaiflush\*vt i *
f / Paid for, in part. with student activity fees. \AV /
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/ I _ Department of Student Life ^ Division of Student & Alumni Services // / \ \