University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, October 15
Columbia, S.C.
7 p.m.
University of Georgia
at
South Carolina
Georgia Heads to South Carolina for Crucial Match
October 14, 2021 | Soccer
Georgia (10-3-1, 3-2-1 SEC) at South Carolina (9-4-0, 4-2-0 SEC)
Date: Friday, Oct. 15
Time: 7 p.m. EDT
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Site: Eugene E. Stone III Soccer Stadium (5,700)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGASoccer
Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
QUICK KICKS
Series History
Friday's match is the 32nd all-time meeting between Georgia and South Carolina, with the Bulldogs holding a 16-11-4 series lead. South Carolina leads 5-4-4 in matches played in Columbia. In the most recent meeting, Georgia defeated South Carolina, 1-0, in last season's opener on Sept. 20, 2020, in Athens.
Winning Momentum
Following a 1-0 victory over Missouri on Thursday, Georgia earned another divisional win with a 2-1 result against Kentucky. After conceding an early goal, graduate forward Mollie Belisle's two goals and impressive saves from senior keeper Emory Wegener preserved the three-point result. With the win, Georgia earned back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since beating Ole Miss and Mississippi State in 2019, and the first consecutive divisional wins since South Carolina and Tennessee in 2014. Currently, the Bulldogs are tied with Vanderbilt for sixth in the overall SEC standings with four matches to play before the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama. In addition to seeking the division title and its accompanying top-two seed, the Bulldogs can earn a first-round bye in the tournament if they are able to remain in or finish above their current position.
Belisle's Career Year
Graduate forward Mollie Belisle continued her outstanding season with a pair of goals against Kentucky. Currently, Belisle is tied for first nationally with 14 goals (tied with Arizona State's Nicole Douglas and Hofstra's Miri Taylor) and ranks third in points with 29. With her current single-season totals, Belisle ranks fourth in school history in goals (14), sixth in shots (68), and seventh in points (29). She is also only the fourth player in program history to post five multi-goal performances in a season, having already tallied five. With seven career multi-goal outings, she is tied for second all-time behind Carrie Patterson (9).
Winning Season Sealed
With Sunday's win, Georgia reached 10 wins for the first time in head coach Billy Lesesne's tenure, as well as guaranteed a .500+ season for the second time in three years.
Murguia Nearing History
With an assist against Kentucky, senior midfielder Dani Murguia upped her season total to 10, ranking her fourth nationally. She is only third Bulldog to ever post double-digit assists in a season and is only two away from breaking Suzannah Weathersbee's single season record set in 1996.
Nation's Top Trio
Powered by one of the nation's top scorers, the trio of graduate forward Mollie Belisle (14), senior midfielder Dani Murguia (7), and freshman forward Danielle Lewin (7) rank first nationally among trios with 28 total goals, three ahead of second-place Hofstra (25).
Wegener Shines in Net
Senior goalkeeper Emory Wegener was an instrumental part of the last week's sweep, earning her 17th career clean sheet at Missouri. After Kentucky scored on a rebounded ball in the fourth minute, Wegener helped maintain Georgia's 2-1 lead with a series of notable saves, including a sliding kick save to negate a 2-on-1 Wildcat attack later in the first half. Now sitting at 253 career saves, she ranks sixth in program history.
Putting Up Numbers
The Georgia attack ranks fifth in the nation and first in the SEC with 41 goals, surpassing the 18 scored all last season. The Bulldogs ranked first for two weeks until South Alabama moved into the top spot following a 15-0 win over Alcorn State. With 2.93 goals per match, the scoring offense ranks 10th nationally.
Ranking Report
Following last week's wins against Missouri and Kentucky, Georgia remained at No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Southeast Region rankings for the third-consecutive week, while not receiving any votes for the national poll. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 53 in the newest RPI rankings released Monday, the sixth-highest rated team in the SEC.
Date: Friday, Oct. 15
Time: 7 p.m. EDT
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Site: Eugene E. Stone III Soccer Stadium (5,700)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter: @UGASoccer
Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
QUICK KICKS
Series History
Friday's match is the 32nd all-time meeting between Georgia and South Carolina, with the Bulldogs holding a 16-11-4 series lead. South Carolina leads 5-4-4 in matches played in Columbia. In the most recent meeting, Georgia defeated South Carolina, 1-0, in last season's opener on Sept. 20, 2020, in Athens.
Winning Momentum
Following a 1-0 victory over Missouri on Thursday, Georgia earned another divisional win with a 2-1 result against Kentucky. After conceding an early goal, graduate forward Mollie Belisle's two goals and impressive saves from senior keeper Emory Wegener preserved the three-point result. With the win, Georgia earned back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since beating Ole Miss and Mississippi State in 2019, and the first consecutive divisional wins since South Carolina and Tennessee in 2014. Currently, the Bulldogs are tied with Vanderbilt for sixth in the overall SEC standings with four matches to play before the SEC Tournament in Orange Beach, Alabama. In addition to seeking the division title and its accompanying top-two seed, the Bulldogs can earn a first-round bye in the tournament if they are able to remain in or finish above their current position.
Belisle's Career Year
Graduate forward Mollie Belisle continued her outstanding season with a pair of goals against Kentucky. Currently, Belisle is tied for first nationally with 14 goals (tied with Arizona State's Nicole Douglas and Hofstra's Miri Taylor) and ranks third in points with 29. With her current single-season totals, Belisle ranks fourth in school history in goals (14), sixth in shots (68), and seventh in points (29). She is also only the fourth player in program history to post five multi-goal performances in a season, having already tallied five. With seven career multi-goal outings, she is tied for second all-time behind Carrie Patterson (9).
Winning Season Sealed
With Sunday's win, Georgia reached 10 wins for the first time in head coach Billy Lesesne's tenure, as well as guaranteed a .500+ season for the second time in three years.
Murguia Nearing History
With an assist against Kentucky, senior midfielder Dani Murguia upped her season total to 10, ranking her fourth nationally. She is only third Bulldog to ever post double-digit assists in a season and is only two away from breaking Suzannah Weathersbee's single season record set in 1996.
Nation's Top Trio
Powered by one of the nation's top scorers, the trio of graduate forward Mollie Belisle (14), senior midfielder Dani Murguia (7), and freshman forward Danielle Lewin (7) rank first nationally among trios with 28 total goals, three ahead of second-place Hofstra (25).
Wegener Shines in Net
Senior goalkeeper Emory Wegener was an instrumental part of the last week's sweep, earning her 17th career clean sheet at Missouri. After Kentucky scored on a rebounded ball in the fourth minute, Wegener helped maintain Georgia's 2-1 lead with a series of notable saves, including a sliding kick save to negate a 2-on-1 Wildcat attack later in the first half. Now sitting at 253 career saves, she ranks sixth in program history.
Putting Up Numbers
The Georgia attack ranks fifth in the nation and first in the SEC with 41 goals, surpassing the 18 scored all last season. The Bulldogs ranked first for two weeks until South Alabama moved into the top spot following a 15-0 win over Alcorn State. With 2.93 goals per match, the scoring offense ranks 10th nationally.
Ranking Report
Following last week's wins against Missouri and Kentucky, Georgia remained at No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Southeast Region rankings for the third-consecutive week, while not receiving any votes for the national poll. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 53 in the newest RPI rankings released Monday, the sixth-highest rated team in the SEC.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
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