Soccer Hosts South Carolina in Power of Pink Match
10/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 9, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama soccer team (8-2-2, 3-0-2 SEC) will look to continue its strong play as it will host No. 15 South Carolina (10-2-2, 4-0-1 SEC) on Sunday, Oct. 10, in the Power of Pink match presented by Tuscaloosa Toyota. Kickoff between the two Southeastern Conference division leaders is scheduled at 1 p.m., at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
Alabama earned just its second point in program history against Florida when it played the No. 6 Gators to a 1-1 double overtime draw Friday night. Senior Brooke Rogers scored the equalizer with just over a minute remaining in regulation to keep the Crimson Tide unbeaten in SEC play. After a Florida goal early in the second half, senior Victoria Frederick continued her torrid pace in the assist category by hitting Rogers on a cross from the far side. Rogers buried the shot from point blank to tally her career-best seventh goal of the season. Tide goalkeeper Justine Bernier made a season-high 10 saves in the effort.
WHO TO WATCH
Alabama central defender K.K. Duffy has made an immediate impact on the defensive prowess of the Crimson Tide. A transfer from Clemson, Duffy has stepped in and been a leader on the back four for Alabama. Duffy has helped the Tide post six shutouts on the season and allowed under a goal a game with a 0.88 goals against average. Alabama has not allowed more than one goal since Sept. 10 and has only given up more than one tally on two occasions. Duffy has started in all 12 games for the Tide and has played 90 or more minutes in 11 straight matches to lead Alabama in minutes played.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks enter Tuscaloosa on the heels of a 3-1 win at Auburn. South Carolina has won four straight and has done so in convincing fashion as it has outscored the opposition 18-2 over that span. On the season, USC has outscored its opponents 30-7 and sports a team goals against average of 0.48. Individually the Gamecocks are led by Kayla Grimsley and her SEC leading 23 points on seven goals and nine assists. Brooke Jacobs has tallied 16 points on six goals and four assists while Danielle Au follows with 10 points on four goals and two assists. In goal, USC single season shutout record holder Mollie Patton returns and has already posted a league-best eight shutouts while sporting a 0.50 goals against average in 1265 minutes. In 2009 the Gamecocks finished 19-4-2 and made the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament, before falling to Wake Forest, 1-0. Head coach Shelley Smith enters her 10th season with the Gamecocks and is coming off a year in which she was named the NSCAA South Region and SEC Coach of the Year.
SERIES HISTORY
The two programs will be meeting for the 12th time as South Carolina holds an 8-3 all-time advantage. Alabama won its last meeting at home, earning a 1-0 victory in 2008. The Gamecocks hold a 3-2 all-time mark in Tuscaloosa. The two teams last met last season when USC earned a 2-0 win on Oct. 11 in Columbia, S.C.
POWER OF PINK
The Alabama soccer team will once again partake in the Power of Pink initiative in 2010. Alabama will host South Carolina in the Tuscaloosa Toyota Power of Pink match on Sunday, Oct. 10. Alabama Athletics and Tuscaloosa Toyota have partnered in the efforts to raise awareness of breast cancer and support for the DCH Breast Cancer Fund. Efforts support the DCH Breast Cancer Fund, which is designed to help women in the West Alabama area who need financial assistance to pay for early detection of breast cancer.
PROGRAM TURN AROUND
In year three under head coach Todd Bramble, the Alabama soccer team is accomplishing some feats it has not reached in some time. After five matches into the conference season the Tide is unbeaten for the first time since 1995. Alabama earned its first win over Mississippi and its first point against LSU at Baton Rouge since 2004. UA earned just its second point against Florida in program history by tying the No. 6 Gators on Oct. 8. The Tide already eclipsed its win total from last season before the calendar hit October and has eclipsed its goal total from a year ago as well.
WESTERN DIVISION WATCH
The Alabama soccer team has jumped out to a quick start in conference play and has done so against western division opponents. The Crimson Tide has played four of the five division opponents already and has yet to lose, holding a three-point lead in the division over LSU. The Tide will face Auburn in the final match of the regular season on Oct. 29. With the 11 points, Alabama currently sits in second place in the overall SEC standings. Florida and South Carolina are tied atop the table with 13 points each.
WHERE THEY STACK UP
Alabama junior goalkeeper Justine Bernier doesn't just lead the conference with a 0.36 goals against average but also ranks fourth in the country. She paces the conference in save percentage and checks in at second in college soccer with a .946 clip. Brooke Rogers is tied for third in the league with seven goals and ranks tied for eighth in points with 14 while in conference play she checks in at fourth in goals (3) and eighth in points (6). Victoria Frederick ranks tied for fourth in assists with six and leads the league during conference action with five helpers.
RECORD BREAKER
Alabama junior goalkeeper Justine Bernier broke the Alabama career shutout record by tallying her 13th shutout with a clean slate at LSU. The shutout marked her fifth of the season. In the win over Arkansas last Sunday, Bernier also etched her name atop the career saves record by making 304 stops over the course of her career, besting the 301 set by Tide great Amy Pseja. With her five shutouts in 2010 Bernier is closing in on the single-season record as well. She currently ranks tied for third in the single season annals, just two behind the mark set by Carrie Warner in 1997.
CAREER YEARS
Just over the halfway mark of the 2010 campaign, several members of the Crimson Tide are having career seasons. Senior Brooke Rogers has tallied seven goals, leading the team in that category and besting her previous season high of three. Fellow senior Rosaly Petriello is also putting together a career year, as the Canadian has tallied four goals, eclipsing her previous season best of three, set in 2007. Senior Victoria Frederick is also been putting together a career season but in the assist category, as she enters Sunday with a career-best six helpers. The six assists is the second largest single-season total in Alabama history and the most since Libby Probst tallied seven in 2005.
PROMOTIONS
With the promotion of the Power of Pink initiative T-shirts will be given out to the first 200 fans. Other giveaways will include iPod shuffles, a digital camera, and an iPad among many other prizes.
NEXT TIME OUT
Alabama will once again hit the road as it will face Kentucky on Friday, Oct. 15, and Vanderbilt on Sunday, Oct. 17. Kickoff against the Wildcats is slated for 7 p.m. ET, with the start of the match against the Commodores set for 2 p.m. CT.
