SOUTH CAROLINA ADVANCES TO ROUND OF 16 WITH 1-0 VICTORY OVER RUTGERS Brooke Jacobs scores game-winning goal in 36th minute; Shelley Smith earns 100th victory at USC COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior forward Brooke Jacobs scored her sixth goal of the year in the 36th minute of play and junior goalkeeper Mollie Patton came up with a diving save near the end of regulation in the 90th minute as the Gamecocks defeated Rutgers 1-0 on Sunday afternoon in front of 2,724 fans at Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks improve to 19-3-2 and advance to the Round of 16 while Rutgers ends its season with a 14-4-4 record. South Carolina will face Wake Forest in the Round of 16. Site and game time is to be determined. Sunday afternoon’s win also marked head coach Shelley Smith’s 100th victory as head coach of South Carolina. “I’m glad to be here to talk about another win,” Smith said. “This has been an amazing season, and to be home playing in front of these fans is just tremendous. We are so glad that we could come through with a win today. Obviously we broke history with Friday night’s win, and it was amazing to get a little bit more of the season. These players play like they don’t want the season to end, and they put everything into it in every game. They played with a lot of heart again.” The match was played even between South Carolina and Rutgers until 35:36 when Carolina grabbed the one-goal advantage with Jacobs finding the back of the net. On the score, Gamecock midfielder Christine Watts controlled a ball played into the box. Despite a Rutgers defender, Watts created an opportunity and connected with Jacobs, who on the touch, got a good look from six yards out to drill a shot past Rutgers keeper Erin Guthrie and off the inside of the left post into the net putting the Gamecocks ahead by a goal. Jacobs has now scored in three consecutive NCAA matches. Jacobs had a goal vs. William & Mary in 2008 and scored last Friday evening in the victory over Davidson. Assists on the score were awarded to Watts and Maria Petroni. “Christine and Maria both played great balls with a give-and-go, and I knew I was close to the goal,” Jacobs said. “I turned and I saw an open goal, so I just took a shot. I thought it was a little wide when it hit the post, but luckily it went in the goal.” Rutgers fought to the end though and came as close as possible in the 90th minute off a corner kick. Up from her goalkeeper position, Guthrie floated a ball into the penalty area that saw Scarlet Knights forward Rheanne Sleiman head on directly and toward the goal, only to have Patton come up with diving save to end the match and preserve a Gamecock victory. South Carolina finished with an 11-9 advantage in shots over Rutgers including an 8-6 edge in the second half. Guthrie finished with five saves while Patton made three for the Gamecocks. The shutout for Patton was her 15th of the season and 22nd of her career. She recorded a shutout in both games this weekend. “(Getting two shutouts) is really exciting,” Patton said. “In our last trip to the NCAA, three goals were scored on me, and I just wanted to come out strong at the end of the season this year. To get two shutouts means a lot to the defense and me. We have been playing really well, and they tested us. I am just happy that I came up big a few times in this game.”
