Ladies’s Soccer 2025 Preview – College of South Carolina Athletics

Expectations are at all times excessive for South Carolina ladies’s soccer, and head coach Shelley Smith’s staff embraces being one of many groups to beat within the SEC. One factor that will probably be completely different this yr is who would be the essential goal for placing the ball at the back of the online with the commencement of All-American and profession targets and factors chief Cat Barry, who set a faculty file with 18 targets final yr. Sophomore Katie Shea Collins, who earned Second Team All-SEC honors after scoring 13 targets final yr, is an effective place to begin. Even although the 5’3” ahead is a a lot smaller goal than the 6’ Barry, she is aware of she can have a goal on her again.

“Pressure is a privilege,” Collins stated. “We had a lot of younger girls step up this spring. So many of them have put in so much effort and hard work. Even if they double team me, my teammates are going to help me. It’s about being a team player. It doesn’t matter how many goals you score. It doesn’t matter how many assists you have.”

“Katie Shea showed how tremendous she is as a player,” Smith stated. “She’s going to get lots of consideration, no matter who she is enjoying with which is one thing she must modify to, however she is greater than able to doing that. She goes to present alternatives to different gamers which were ready their flip. We have some new faces as properly so as to add to the assault.

“(Junior) Cuyler Zulauf had a great opportunity to play this summer with Katie Shea in an event in North Carolina and showed she can play with top players. She is getting better every year. Coming into her junior year, she is going to make an impact. We’re going to need people like her to come in and give us that offensive lift.”

The Gamecocks went 11-4-7 total and completed fourth within the SEC final yr with a 5-2-3 league mark. The Gamecocks have been the SEC Tournament runners-up and have been ranked seventeenth on the finish of the yr after reaching the second spherical of NCAA Tournament.

“I love the camaraderie of this group. We’re excited for what we have this season and for the lineup that we have.”

Coach Shelley Smith
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This is Smith’s twenty fifth yr main the Gamecocks, and a standard thread throughout her profession has been protection. South Carolina returns a pair of key seniors within the again with goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis, who tallied 4 shutouts and was fourth within the SEC with 76 saves final yr, in addition to two-time First Team All-SEC defender Gracie Falla.

“Gracie is leading in the back line,” Smith stated. “Christina was in goal last year, so it’s nice to have that experience in the back. We have experienced defenders like (senior) Micah Bryant and (junior) Amanda Patrick that are returning. They play wide and do a great job of getting into the attack. They’re two more upperclassmen that show a lot of depth. It’s the same with our midfield. We have (junior) Maggie Taitano, who has gotten much better in the middle. (Sophomore) Avery Galante is in the mix there. We have a lot of players that can play good minutes for us and have experience. (Senior) Kinley Brown is another one. All these players played behind a lot of fifth-year players last year, so they’re just ready to go.”

“Last spring was one of our best springs yet,” Falla stated of the offseason. “We grew together on the field and off the field. That’s been a big part of our success going into the fall.”

“I’m definitely a lot more confident this year,” Tsaousis stated. “I’m ready to go.”

The Gamecocks introduced in a couple of key newcomers by way of the switch portal to go together with seven freshmen.

“We have good depth through every position,” Smith stated. “Our freshmen have are available and performed very well immediately. Mackenzie Johnson, Alexa Pino, and Ava Tutas are all attacking-minded gamers. They’ve proven already that they will deal with this stage. We have Ashley Connolly coming within the again, Helen Ghertner within the middle of the midfield, and Katie Russo can play quite a lot of positions. They will all get alternatives to point out us what they will do.

“(Senior) Taylor Bloom has come in, a center back from Pepperdine, who brings a lot of experience. She has had a lot of national team experience. (Sophomore goalkeeper) Emma Kirlin has come in from Florida State. She’s another person that gives us great depth and is challenging for playing time.”

The Gamecocks led the nation in attendance final yr and can look to present the Stone Stadium devoted rather a lot to cheer about once more in 2025. South Carolina opens the season Thursday at College of Charleston and hosts South Florida on Sunday at 6 p.m.

“We’re very good at possession, and we want to be as threatening as we can. I love the camaraderie of this group,” Smith stated. “We’re excited for what we have this season and for the lineup that we have. We’re excited to get started!”

(PHOTO BELOW: Katie Shea Collins)