It's difficult to say a whole lot about the tournament last weekend. Certainly the 1-0 loss to #13 Illinois on a late goal is understandable for a young team and I thought it was great that the defense played so well. The 1-0 loss to Iowa when South Carolina dominated play with an over 4:1 shot ratio but couldn't finish was incredibly disappointing. Clearly South Carolina has to learn to convert.
However, I thought that the play of some South Carolina players deserved to be called out. Specifically, here's what Shelley Smith said about one player who hasn't gotten as much press as others: "Shannon Bigbie has been a great surprise for us already. We have played her in several positions and she adds to our depth in the back and midfield." I heard she had a great tournament.
Of course, more heralded players from South Carolina really stepped up as well with Kimmy Gillespie and Blakely Mattern being named to the all-tournament team.
There's been a lot said on this message board about the level of recruiting from South Carolina's major colleges. Last weekend, there were outstanding performances by South Carolina players at both USC and Clemson. I'm not talking about "recruiting for team chemistry" or whatever -- I'm talking about players who stepped up and made a big difference to their teams. Women's soccer in South Carolina is producing better players -- and that's translating into more results for South Carolina colleges recruiting in-state. Great stuff!
