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Smith touts teamwork as new season kicks off Uliquel Jacobs STAFF WRITER Shelley Smith expects her fifth season in Columbia to be her most exciting and fulfilling season yet — on and off the field. The former women’s soccer coach at University of Rhode Island and Dartmouth College has been at Carolina for a full recruiting cycle and can see the makings of a program back on the I rise. “This will be our fifth season, and this year’s graduating players will have been our first recruiting class,” Smith said. “We’re really excited 'about this year for them. We’ve seen how far they’ve come as players. They’ve improved a program and brought so many great memories in the past couple of years.” The Gamecocks have one NCAA Tournament appearance in their brief 10-year history, a 0-2 loss to Charlotte. Last season, with a roster of 13 freshmen, was Smith’s worst since coming to Carolina in 2001, but the coach I said she believes she’s finally found the talent and recipe for the program’s second trip to the tournament. “We’ve been really close, and I think that this year it’s really a goal of ours to make it to that next step,” Smith said. “I feel that this year we’re more prepared than ever to do that. The players came back more fit than I’ve ever seen. There’s excitement going into the season knowing that we don’t have to worry about fitness level.” Another important piece to the puzzle involves teamwork, an aspect Smith acknowledged as the young team’s strength. Senior captain Kimmy Criss’ optimism in a great season mirrors that statement regarding the difference between last year and this year’s teams. “This year’s been a year where there really hasn’t been a gap between each class as far as freshmen, sophomores, juniors ind seniors,” Criss said. “We are a very unified team. This year we know that with each game we’re playing, we’re reaching for the NCAA Tournament. From the freshmen to the four seniors, we all know the goal that we want, and it’s a common goal throughout the 25 players that we have.” One main reason the team has bonded so well is that upperclassmen were quick to embrace freshmen and keep a close-knit atmosphere. “Each player really bonded with the freshmen, and we really got to know them — who they are, their personalities, and how we mesh well as a team,” Criss said. “Even before starting preseason, we all knew each other and had that common bond of going into preseason together and knowing each other.” That teamwork and unity is what Smith said she believes will help Carolina take the leap from a team with opportunities to a team that executes. The Gamecocks have already shown promise after an undefeated preseason, including a 2-0 victory against No. 9 Duke. Last season, games against that type of competition remained close, but the Gamecocks’ inability to capitalize on opportunities left them one game from the SEC Tournament. Given the depth of the SEC, making that tournament means finishing in the top eight in the conference, which speaks volumes about a team’s resume. “The SEC is very competitive,” Smith said. “We ought to finish in the top five or six in the conference, that’s our goal. We want to be at the SEC’s, and if we can get there, anything can happen. If you’re in the SEC’s and you’re (a higher seed), you should have a chance of going to the NCAAs.” While Smith said the NCAA Tournament might sound like a stretch when comparing USC’s roster individually, she stands strong on her belief that as a team, the Gamecocks can compete with any team any day. Having already backed that up with a convincing win against Duke, the Gamecocks will have two non-conference matches against tournament teams from last year before starting SEC play. The recruitment of skilled offensive players at the moment might be a solution to last year’s scoring problems. “This year, adding more offensive players to the attack has been a big help,” Smith said, referring to newcomers Darcel Motion, Felicia Schroeder and Alex Mouton. “Last year we struggled to find the net. We played hard, we had lots of chances, we just couldn’t finish.” Even if the offensive attack doesn’t end up as strong as anticipated in the early games, Criss pointed out an observation about her teammates she believes is a sign 2005 will indeed be the start of something exciting. “The work rate at practices has been a lot better than previous years,” Criss said. “Each day that we go out there is to get better, it’s not just to go out and practice. We want to work as hard as we can for those two hours to make it in November to the NCAA Tournament.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports @gwm. sc. edu Katie Kirkland/JHF, GAMEGOCK Sophomore Courtney Cobbs streaks past a Clemson defender en route to USC’s win last season. NickEsaraWm (lAMliCOCK This No. 2 jersey, hanging in Safran’s shop, is the last existing uniform worn in a game by Sterling Sharpe, USC's receiving leader. STASH • COnnnUED FROIA8 or something related to it. Some of the highlights of his collection include Gamecock football jerseys from stars such as Harold Green, Clarence Williams, | Robert Brooks and Todd Ellis. His hardwood jerseys don the names of Mike Dunleavy, Ronnie Collinsand, until recently, the jersey given to commemorate Frank McGuire’s 500th victory. He even has a baseball and football jersey from two-sport standout Rob DeBoer. Safran also features a variety of former Gamecocks’ professional jerseys, including Mookie Wilson, Bobby Bryant, Brian Winters and John LeHeup. Other items that showcase the variety in Safran’s collection include ticket stubs to games such as USC’s win against Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1984 and the final | Big Thursday match-up between ^ Carolina and Clemson in 1959. Safran has also seen his share of gold come through the door, selling rings from the 1984 Black Magic season, the 1971 ACC Basketball Championship a ring from USC’s 2001 Outback Bowl victory. His walls feature signed pictures from some of USC’s brightest stars, including USC’s lone Heisman winner George Rogers, Jeff Grantz, Dan Reeves, Alex English and Grady Wallace. But the kicker to the collection might be the item the general public doesn’t get to see. Hanging on Safran’s wall in a side room is the only known game jersey worn by all-time leading receiver Sterling Sharpe. The trophy case at USC features a Sharpe jersey — only it’s a recently made throwback. While his collection is enough to make a fan speechless, Safran’s pride hasn’t come from what he has gained physically. It’s the knowledge he has gained from his association with USC sports. On any given day, you can step into Safran’s shop and have a talk with former radio announcer Bob Fulton or one of USC’s oldest living lettermen, Dom Fusci. Collins frequently stops in to see what is going on, while Ryan Brewer has been known to make an appearance. A phone call from Rogers isn’t uncommon, while 1,000-point-club-member Terry Dozier recently became a visitor to the unofficial hall of fame. One of Safran’s most treasured friendships came from one of USC’s all-time greatest graduates in Tatum Gressette. Gressette’s athletics on the field included a drop-kick in 1920 to beat Clemson 3-0. He was also famous for his work throughout the state in government as well as other athletic teams, earning spots in USC’s and the Citadel’s halls of fame as well as the S.C. Golf Hall of Fame. What’s even more impressive is that Gressette started the BAM Club (Buck A Month) in an effort to show up Clemson’s athletic booster IPTAY (I Pay Ten A Year). Today, the BAM is known as the Gamecock Club. “All in one lifetime, this person was able to do all this and squeeze in starting the athletic program at the Citadel and hunting, fishing and golfing with Ty Cobb,” Safran said. “It’s almost mind boggling.” Safran’s collection has allowed him the opportunity to do more than give fans a chance to own a piece of Gamecock history — it has allowed him to share history with fans. Over the years, Safran has been the man behind the scenes on events such as numerous Gamecock Galas, which featured memorabilia from his collection tagged with appearances from players who made the memories. He has also been a figure behind the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fames yearly banquets and even helps Rogers with his annual fundraising events. “Simply by collecting this stuff has opened up doors that have led to places you wouldn’t expect them to lead,” Safran said. “You’ve met people that in some cases you would have only read about in a book or just heard legend of in the past. “To be able to meet these people and hear their stories, and hear them retell the tales and to some extent bring you into their confidence is extremely gratifying just to hear this stuff. You can’t really put a price on it. And it all came about by just collecting stuff.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu RILEY# COnnnUED FROm 8 banquets and dinners promoting the school he holds dearest. He even introduces his longtime friend and Heisman winning running back George Rogers at gatherings, doing such as recently as Saturday. When Fulton wrote his autobiography “Hello Everybody! This is Bob Fulton,” many thought some of the actions behind closed doors would come out into the open. Instead,-Fulton shared his stories and remembrances of seasons and people he’d met from a positive perspective, all while keeping some of the stuff he’d probably seen away from the public. And this is how you repay him? Bob Fulton is the definition of a great sports journalist. His character and work ethic have set him apart from others since he stepped behind a microphone. He lived out .every sporting professional’s dream, staying in a community that loved and embraced him for years and going out as a winner (his final football game was Carolina’s CarQuest Bowl victory against West Virginia in 1995). Fulton has more integrity in his thumb than many involved in sports today have in their entire being. To throw him aside like this should mortify fans of the garnet and black beyond anything that has come out of USC camp since last November. When it was all said and done, Fulton provided me with a hint of hope, saying that Hyman requested to have lunch with him before the season opener against UCF. His hopes were that Hyman would see what an asset he would be to the program and that he might be able to resume his duties with the department. Coming from a friend of Fulton, the man' who is the definition of the ultimate gentleman and sportsman, this is my advice to Hyman: Don’t, cut your ties with USC’s shining representation of integrity, something this university needs now more than ever. In Brief Veteran announcer Fulton released by athletics office Bob Fulton, longtime play-by play commentator for Gamecock sports, has been released from USCs athletics department. Fulton, who had been on as a i consultant, said he was told by : athletics department officials that i his services would no longer be | needed because of the department having to “cut expenses.” After serving as “The Voice of f he Gamecocks” for 43 years, ■•ulton was asked to remain on 1 raff as a consultant to the i miversity upon his retirement in ( 1995 by then-Athletics Director e vfike McGee. His work included c raveling to Gamecock sports i unctions and assisting with USC r ports broadcasting. More e ecently, Fulton worked with new >lay-by-play commentator Todd c illis as he prepared to take over t >lay calling duties for USC Dotball. Fulton received numerous onors throughout his career, lcluding being named South 'arolina Sportscaster of the Year ight times. He is also a member f the USC and South Carolina ithletic halls of fame, the first on-athlete or coach to go into ach. Repeated calls to the athletics epartment office Thursday were nreturned. — Alex Riley . ~ use vs. UCF THURSDAY SEPT. 1 ~ " I'ts the first game of the season and we are showing our support _during this blackout game by offering special savings this week. PRESENT THIS COUPON FOR 10% OFF ALL SOLID BLACK OR GARNET CLOTHING ___ The Week of August 25-September 1, 2005 Plus... SPRING CLEARANCE INPROGRESS Buy 5 Sale Items and Receive a Coupon for $5 OFF Any Purchase Made on Your Next Visit (coupon expires Sept. 30, 2005) WELCOME BACK