Alabama Soccer to Host No. 8 South Carolina Before Traveling to Tennessee

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team will continue SEC conference play by hosting the No. 8 South Carolina Gamecocks Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Stadium. The team will later travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to take on the Tennessee Vols Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. at the Regal Soccer Stadium. Both games will air live on SEC Network +.

About Alabama

The Tide has a current record of 5-3-1.
Junior forward Casey Wertz and sophomore Riley Mattingly lead the team with nine points (Wertz: 3g-3a, Mattingly: 4g-1a). Mattingly has surpassed her points total from last season (6: 1g-4a).
Freshman Carlee Giammona heads Alabama in shots with 25, followed by Wertz with 24. Giammona currently ranks tenth in the SEC in shots with an average of 2.78 per game.
Through nine matches this season, Alabama has seen 10 different players score a goal.
The Crimson Tide ranks second in the league in corner kicks, 79 in nine games played, as well as fourth in shots taken, 157.

Scouting Thursday's Opponent – No. 8 South Carolina

Thursday's game will be the 20th meeting in program history between Alabama and the Gamecocks.
- Alabama trails the all-time series 4-14-1.
- The last meeting on Sept. 15, 2017 ended with an 0-1 loss in Columbia, S.C.
South Carolina has a current record of 7-1-0, with a 1-0 SEC mark from a 3-0 win against Georgia.
- They are ranked eighth nationally by the United Soccer Coaches and have been in the Top 25 for 42-straight weeks dating back to 2016. They are also ranked No. 12 by Soccer America.
The Gamecocks are coming off a 14-6-1 2018 season, with a conference record of 6-3-1. Their season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 0-1 loss against then No. 14 Penn State.
South Carolina has outshot their opponents 105-56 and has a shot on goal percentage of .476. The Gamecock defense has only allowed three goals from their opponents – the 13^th best mark in the NCAA Division 1.
Carolina's starting defense consists of two juniors and three seniors that have combined for 249 career starts. The team has won two SEC Defensive Player of the Week awards this season.
Head coach Shelley Smith enters her 19th season with South Carolina.
The team was predicted to finish second in the league according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Scouting Sunday's Opponent - Tennessee

Sunday's match-up marks the 21st meeting in series history between the Tide and the Tennessee Vols.
- Alabama trails the series 6-13-1.
- The last meeting on Sept. 28, 2017 ending in a 2-0 loss in Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee has a current record of 6-2-1, with a 0-1 SEC mark, losing 0-1 in double overtime to then-No. 17 Vanderbilt.
- The Vols were ranked No. 19 this week by Soccer America.
The Vols ended its 2018 campaign with a 16-3-3 overall record, 7-2-1 in the SEC. Their season concluded in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 loss to then No. 1 Stanford.
The team lost in the 2018 SEC Tournament Quarterfinals to LSU 1-1, 7-6 in a shootout.
Head coach Brian Pensky leads the Vols for his eighth season. Under his direction, he has led the team to five 10-plus win seasons, as well as three NCAA Tournament appearances.
The team was picked to finish fourth in the SEC according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Alabama's Non-Conference Campaign

Alabama concluded non-conference play with a record of 5-2-1.
The Tide outscored its opponents 17-6, outshot them 135-63 and earned 67 corner kicks with their opponents only earning 15.
Goalkeepers Alex Plavin and A.J. Crooks and the Alabama defense shutout three teams allowing only six goals and held its opponents to .75 goals per game.
Alabama recorded its best non-conference match in Beaumont, Texas against Lamar where the Tide silenced the Cardinals, 5-0. Five different players contributed goals - Gabby Duca, Casey Wertz, Kat Rogers, Carlee Giammona, and Riley Mattingly. The Tide put up 34 shots compared to the Cardinals' seven. The Tide registered a team high 13 points.

Alabama Wins vs. SEC Ranked Opponents

Alabama has won five games against ranked SEC opponents in program history, last doing so on Oct. 18, 2018 against Texas A&M.
- This 1-0 win against the Aggies also was the first win over a Top 5 Ranked Opponent in program history.
Three of these victories came at home, with one earned on the road, and the last at a neutral site.

Alabama Wins vs. SEC Ranked Opponents

Oct. 20, 2011 vs. No. 24 Tennessee – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1-0
Nov. 2, 2011 vs. No. 19 South Carolina – Orange Beach, Ala. – 1-0
- First round of the SEC Tournament
Oct. 4, 2013 vs. No. 20 Georgia – Athens, Ga. – 3-2 (OT)
Oct. 24, 2014 vs. No. 22 Georgia – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 2-0
Oct. 18, 2018 vs. No. 5 Texas A&M – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 1-0

Up Next

Alabama will travel to College Station, Texas to take on Texas A&M Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Tide will later host LSU Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. CT.

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. General athletic news can be found at @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and @AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.