South Carolina Beats Georgia to Advance to SEC Semifinals

The South Carolina soccer team punched its ticket to the Southeastern Conference semifinals in Pensacola, Florida, with a decisive win on Tuesday.

Facing off as the second-seeded squad with a 13-2-3 record, the Gamecocks took down 10th-seeded Georgia by a score of 3-0. The victory marked the third-most goals scored by South Carolina in a single match this season, matching their total output across the first four games of the tournament.

The scoring got underway in the fifth minute when SEC Newcomer of the Year Sydney Middaugh fired a shot from outside the box that settled into the top left corner of the net. The strike put South Carolina up 1-0, serving as the team’s fastest goal of the season and the sixth of the year for Middaugh.

Georgia goalkeeper Jordan Brown managed two saves against subsequent first-half attempts, keeping the Bulldogs within striking distance. However, the game shifted seven minutes into the second half when a scramble inside the six-yard box resulted in a handball call against Georgia.

Senior Cuyler Zulauf stepped up to the penalty spot and converted her first successful penalty kick this season, extending the lead to 2-0. The goal was Zulauf’s third of the year.

Following a 20-minute midfield possession battle, the Gamecocks sealed the outcome in the 72nd minute. Senior Emilie Castagna delivered a pass just outside the box to fellow senior Autumn Cayelli, who tapped in an easy shot after Bulldog keeper Brown came out of the goal.

The sequence marked the fourth goal of the season for Cayelli and the first assist for Castagna. Meanwhile, fifth-year goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis secured one save to notch the 21st shutout of her career and the 11th for the Gamecocks this season.

South Carolina advances to face the winner of the match between Alabama and LSU. That semifinal clash is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m., with a broadcast slated on the SEC Network.