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•Women’s soccer aims for SEC tournament By JIM ROCHE THE GAMECOCK The USC women’s soccer team’s final regular-season game tonight against Florida will be an important one. The Gamecocks must win to secure an SEC Tournament berth, and Georgia and Kentucky must lose. The No. 18 Florida Gators come to Columbia at 12-3-3 and 6-2-2 in the SEC after beating Arkansas 2-1 An Sunday in Gainesville. Senior Ashley Kellgren scored her sixth goal of the season early in the second half to give the Gators a 1-0 lead. Florida scored again off a header by Cherry Pickman, her Second goal of the season, to put the Gators up 2-0. The Razorbacks cut the Gators’ lead in half at 7(>:56, but it wasn’t enough to knock off the No. 18 ranked Gators, who have yyon five of their last seven games. Several Florida players could give USC problems. Senior Stephanie Freeman leads tfie Gators in goals with 13 and points with 29, five of which were game winners. Florida goalkeeper Jen Gardner has been sharp all year, giving up just six goals and recording 25 saves. Kellgren leads the Gators in assists with eight. South Carolina (8-9-2, 2-6-2 SEC) says goodbye to its seniors tonight. Today is Senior Day, when USC honors, among others, its outstanding senior trio of Ashley Gosnell, Sarah Lentz and Ashley Williams. Lentz has started all 19 games this year, recording six goals, three of which were game winners. Williams leads the team in goals with seven, and Gosnell has played in 66 career matches. Gosnell was USC’s leading scorer her freshman year. Friday’s game is a must-win if the Gamecocks want to continue playing for the final seed in the SEC Tournament in Auburn next week. “We have a lot to play for on Friday,” USC head coach Shelley Smith said. “The fact that we still have a chance to earn a spot in the SEC Tournament after all that we have been through this year says a lot. There have been other games this year in which we were more deserving to win but it didn’t happen. The players have worked fyard, and to play a ranked team like Florida at home, the last home game for the seniors, I’m hoping we can finish the season off with a win.” • , , | South Carolina beat'Florida 1-0 in Columbia ‘on ^Sept. 29, 2002, in overtime: Ashley Williams launched a 10-yard shot past Kellgren for the game winner. Last year, Florida beat USC 2-0 in * Gainesville. Florida’s Robin Fulton had one goal and one assist in the Gator win. The Gamecocks will Jbok fbr, another crucial win tonight, one that ; would cap off a season-ending three game winning streak, to possibly g^t USC, into the postseason. The action* starts at 7 p.m.^at Eugene E..Stone III Stadium. Tonight is Family Night,' i and all kids; 13 and younger gef in free. ’ % * . 1 * ♦ “ V . Comp/ents on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwmjc.edu \ * i * *•4" i , s* * 1 GAMECOCK CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE: Every week, Jonathan Adam David Wes Steven Aisha The Gamecock’s readers and Hillyard Beam Stagg Wolfe Van Haren Haynes staff test their sports knowledge Sports Editor Design Viewpoints Copy Reader of with nroHintinnc editor in chief director editor editor the week witn game predictions. (49.27) (53.23) (54-22) ,(45-31) (55-21) (48-28) ' 2 Oklahoma at 20 Oklahoma St. Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma Florida vs. 10 Georgia_Florida Florida_Georgia Florida Georgia Florida 20 Arizona St. at 7 California California California California California California California Penn State at Ohio StateOhio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Kentucky at M ississi ppi St. MSUKentucky MSU Kentucky MSU MSU Duke at Wake ForestWFU WFU_WFU WFU WFU WFU NC State at ClemsonNC State NC State NC State NC State Clemson Clemson Missouri at NebraskaMissouri Missouri Missouri Missouri Nebraska Nebraska Texas Tech at Kansas State Texas Tech KSUTexas Tech Texas Tech KSU KSU 11 Tennessee at USC USC USC Tennessee USC USC USC ^ 27-24 14-7 10-7 56-0 21-7 24-17 WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-MAIL SELECTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GAMES TO GAMECOCKSPORTS@GWM.SC.EDU. LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: Stagg, Wolfe, Van Haren and the reader had a four-way tie, all with 7-3 records. Van Haren holds a tenuous one-game lead. Volleyball team to face Wildcats By MEGAN GIBSON and MIQUELJACOBS THE GAMECOCK • While the Red Sox were busy breaking he curse Wednesday night, the women’s volleyball team was battling the No. 16 Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. The Gamecocks fell to UT in four games, (30 28, 26-30, 23-30, 24-30) but not before winning their first game of the season against a ranked team. USC fell to 11-9 overall and 4-7 in the SEC and will face the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday. I thought we gave a much better effort tonight despite the outcome,” USC head coach Kim Hudson said. “Our competitive mentality was much better than how it has been recently. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come out with a win.” Trailing by three at 25-28, junior Sarah Morgan scored back-to-back kills to bring the Gamecocks within one. An unforced error by Tennessee tied up the score at 28-28, giving USC the opportunity to take the lead. The '^kamecocks took full advantage of the ^^hance when Morgan scored another kill to give them the 29-28 lead. Middle blocker Lauren Ford finished the game on a kill to give USC its first win of the season against a ranked team. In game two, Tennessee evened the match 1-1 in a close battle. A late surge brought USC within two points at 26-28 n a Ford service ace. However, UT emtehed the final two points when setter Julie Knytych scored a kill and a ball handling error was called on the Gamecocks. In the third game, the Gamecocks stuck with UT and were within two at 10-12. The Volunteers then went on a 6 0 run, and USC was never able to make up the deficit. Tennessee hit a match high .422 kill percentage with 23 kills only four errors. By the end of game three, the Vols had four players in double figures and one player, Yuliya Stoyanova, with a match-high 17 kills. The Vols also held USC to zero blocks. The game went to Tennessee with a score of23-30. The Gamecocks had the lead 8-7 in the beginning of the final game. UT was able to catch up a few points later and tie 15-15. The two teams fought back and forth, tying the score three more times. A Volunteer error put USC within two at 24-26. However, Tennessee scored four straight kills to win the game 24-30 and wi the match three games to .me. Junior Nicole Miller had a career-high 21 digs and 12 kills, while Morgan led the team with 15 kills. Hoping to avenge a close loss earlier in the season, the USC volleyball team will return to action Sunday against the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats edged the Gamecocks 3-2 in Columbia on Oct. 1, and the Gamecocks look to even the score with a rematch in Lexington. With five games remaining in the season, Carolina is in the middle of the pack, holding a record of 11-9 and 4-7 in the conference. However, the Gamecocks have yet to record a divisional win, going 0-5 this season against SEC East teams. Kentucky is last in the conference with a mark of 11-10 and 2-8 in conference play. The Wildcats’ last victory over USC was their first since the 1999 season. Kentucky will be celebrating Senior Day, honoring seniors Katie Bright and Sarah Spinner in the final home game of their careers. Bright has not seen action this season after a career filled with shoulder injuries. Fortunately, Spinner has been a dominating player for the Wildcats this year. The senior outside hitter ranks fifth in the conference at 3.96 kills per game. However, in her last appearance against South Carolina, the Gamecocks were able to contain her, allowing only 11 points to Spinner, her second-lowest total of the season for a -L Despite the defensive success against Spinner, the Gamecocks dropped the close match because of the play of Jenni Casper, Danielle Wallace, Leigh Marcum and Ki Eveland. Casper, the conference leader in digs per game at 4.57, recorded her best outing of the season against the Gamecocks, registering her only kill of the season as well as her season high in digs with 30. Wallace, seventh in the conference in kills per game at 3 94, also recorded her best overall outing against the Gamecocks. Marcum and Eveland rank third and fifth in assists per game with 12.59 and 11.69 marks, respectively. USC head coach Kim Hudson said she hopes this Kentucky match-up will play out differently than the last one. Before the last match, the Gamecocks were rebounding from a Wednesday night loss to the Lady Vols and did not recover in time for the Kentucky match. Sunday’s game is set for 1:30 p.m. at Kentucky. USC’s next home match is Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. against the LSU Tigers. Comments-'on this story? E-mail gamecocksportMgwm.se. edu ■ CUSA Continued from page 8 Miami. USC, UK and FIU will join current members East Carolina, UAB and Memphis in the new look Conference USA. These six schopls will be joined by Marshall, SMU, Tulsa and Central Florida; schppls that will become full members of the conference. The CUSA soccer conference should 1 be one of the most competitive in die nation as nine of the ten schools that will be members currently have ginning records. SMU is currently ranked third, current members Memphis and UAB are b.oth currently ranked in the nation’s top •20, while CJSC, EIU:and Tulsa have all been ranked at one point or'another this . season. ■» The ten schools will play aatine-game round robin during die season. The setup •fer a conference tournament has not yet been decided, but a postseason tournament is likely. “Conference USA has a very strong reputation nationally in men’s soccer,” South Carolina senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator .Val Sfieley said'. “We believe this i affiliation will not only strengthen our program but it will strengthen their ' league as well. It will provide additional opportunity for national exposure as well as great competition.*’ K'' Vv~ V '■ Cqmments. on this«story? E-mail pmecockspmsMppm.se. edu ’ %• ; * t. # ’ BRIEFS , •?* »A,' -t ' ; * Tennis tournament to host 16 schools The USC wojnen’s tennis team beginning -today hosts the Southern Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament. The tournament will have seven flights each in singles and doubles. Consolation matches will ensure each player at least three matches inff ingles and doubles. The tournament will field players from 16 schools, including USC. Women will play on the Maxcy Gregg I Tennis Courts on Blossom Street, men will play on the Sam Daniels Tennis Courts by the baseball stadium, and the Columbia Tennis Center on Pickens Street will host men and women. The tournament will begin at 8:30 a.m. today and will conclude with the finals on Sunday. “Well, we just have to continue to work. At this point in the season, we know '< what we do well.” MARK BERSON USC.HEAD 9bCtfE8 COACH t * * y . ® #"* .--t matches, most recently to Virginia 3-2 in overtime they began the &ason with 11^ straight \frins, including a defeat over th^rt -No. 1 Maryland. The,Blue Devils are a major threat and will be led by senior striker1 Nigi Adogwa, a native of Trinjtfad, aSAvell as Danny Kramer, a junior midfielder. “WeH, we just have to continue to work. At this point in the season, we know what we do well,” Berson said about bouncing back to face tough opposition. The Gamecocks’ sophomore goalkeeper Brad Guzan had eight saves in the contest. After their match-up Sunday at 2 p.m. with Duke, the Gamecocks will travel to Charleston next weekend for the Charleston Tournament. The -action will begin Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. against Coastal Carolina and will continue Nov. 7 at 2:30 p.m. against Alabama A&M. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu first half, the Gamecocks out-shot the Paladins 12,-4 but were stopped each time. In particular, , ohe-pn-one situations with junior striker Ryan Deter and sophomore forward Ayo Akinsete gave the • Gamecocks opportunities ‘to build a lead, but they failed tp convert. Carolina was called for thtee offsides penalties in the match to the Paladins’ zero. One was critical when defender Josh Alcala was inside the 6-yard box and was unable to finish a scoring opportunity, due to the call Carolina will ne$t match-up with the, Duke University Blue* Devils on Sunday at Stprie Stadium, The^Bhie Devils are 13-3-0 on the season and will seiVe as a major test for*, the Gamecocks.. Although the Blue Devils have lost throe out of their last five win. Comer kicks w^re a major factor as the Gamecocks earned five and the Paladins tallied nine. Unfortunately, the Gamecocks were unable tq capitalize on an early Raman Paracat corner kick that w£s placed flawlessly into the box but was not converted. Another missed opportunity, took place 15 fninutes mtd the game ofFa corner kick by Sebastian Lindhokn. Midfielder Eric Szeszycld kicked the ball past Paladin goalkeeper Alex Maslow, but a Paladin defender saved it at the last minute. On the other side, Bell was able to take advantage of a perfect opportunity in the 58th minute of the contest. “Well you know it’s important to put them away. We had a lot of good opportunities, and we didn’t put them away. They stuck a corner in, and that changed the game,” USC head coach Mark Berson said.. For the game, the Gamecocks out shot the Paladins 22-15. More importantly, only seven Gamecock shots were on goal to the Paladins’ 10. However, corner kicks were not the Gamecocks’ only opportunity. In the ■ Mens soccer loses four of its lastfive Paladin match-ups By BRIAN DAVIS THE GAMECOCK ‘ > THS4 No. 25 USC men’s soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss to the Furman Paladins Wednesda/ night at Eugene E. StQne III Stadium. The; loss was the Gamecocks’ fourth in five games as the ,end of the regular season nears. The game winner and lone goal of the, contest was scored off a cwner kick by junior midfielder Josh Villalobos. Villalobos crossed it into the box, and freshman defender Brian Bell headed it in. k The Paladins were major underdogs in the contest as they were oft a four game losing' streak heading into the game. * Additionally, the' Paladins’ record stands at .only 5-8-1 overall with the Furman defense snuffs Carolina r~~”i