Sept. 23, 2012
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Danielle Au scored her first goal of the season and South Carolina had two first-half goals called back in a 1-1 draw at Arkansas Sunday afternoon at Razorback Field. The Gamecocks move to 3-4-3 (0-2-2 SEC) on the year while Arkansas is now 4-5-1 (1-2-1).
Au scored in the 70th minute with assists by Ali Whitney and Taylor Leach to break a three-match scoreless streak to start league play. Sophomore Sabrina D’Angelo registered six saves in the game.
The match marked the fifth overtime game in 10 contests this season for South Carolina. The Gamecocks move to 0-2-3 on the season in extra time matches.
The Gamecocks nearly broke the scoring drought in the seventh minute with a shot by Au in front of the goal off a corner kick, but goalkeeper Kelly Roliard was in the right spot to smother it on the ground. Courtney Angotti-Smith made her stake at scoring the opening tally in the 16th minute with a goal that was nullified due to an offsides call. Au fed Coryn Bajema near the top of the ’18 for a shot on goal, but Roliard deflected it for a save, causing Angotti-Smith’s rebound goal to be nullified as an offsides player.
Arkansas gave the Gamecocks a scare in the 27th minute after a long throw-in led to two attempts inside the ’18 with D’Angelo out of the net, but the Razorbacks were not able to get one of their attempts across the line. After an Au breakaway in the 32nd ended with a blocked shot, the Razorbacks again gave Carolina a score when Taylor Green’s shot from range in the 39th hit the far post and bounced out to keep the match scoreless.
South Carolina had two near-goals come back-to-back in the 44th minute – one on a mistake by Arkansas and another that went in but was called back. An Ali Whitney throw-in came close to ending in an Arkansas own goal after a mis-clearance, leading to a South Carolina corner kick. Andie Romness’s resulting set piece was headed into the back of the net by a Gamecock attacker, but the officials whistled for a foul on the play, negating a Gamecocks goal for the second time in the first half. South Carolina went into the break with a 10-3 edge in shots (3-2 shots on goal) and a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The Razorbacks mounted a strong offensive to begin the second half, getting a look in the 49th that was saved by D’Angelo before breaking through for the goal in the 55th minute with a goal by Jeriann Okoro who was the recipient of a perfectly-crossed ball on a breakaway by Phyllis George.
After the Arkansas goal, the Gamecocks mounted an offensive onslaught of their own that was finally rewarded in the 70th minute with a goal by Au courtesy of assists by Ali Whitney and Taylor Leach. Whitney’s long throw-in into the box was played to Au for the goal.
Angotti-Smith nearly provided the winning score in the 80th minute with a chance off a Carly Ray throw-in that the goalkeeper was able to grab before a solid shot could be taken. The two teams continued to trade runs in the final 10 minutes of regulation, but neither squad could muster an attempt on goal.
Both teams had one look on goal in the first overtime period with Samantha Gonzalez getting a shot on frame in the 91st and Arkansas’s Allie Chandler giving D’Angelo a strong test in the 96th.
South Carolina stays on the road next weekend with trips to Auburn and Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks take on the Tigers Friday night before going to Nashville Sunday.
