#20 Clemson Women’s Soccer Team to Play Host to #7 South Carolina Friday Night

Sept. 19, 2007

Clemson, SC – The 20th-ranked Clemson women’s soccer team will play host to in-state rival and seventh-ranked South Carolina on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. The match will be the second of a double-header at Riggs Field on Friday, as the Tiger men’s team will face top-ranked Wake Forest at 5:00 p.m.

The Lady Tigers, ranked 20th by the NSCAA, are 5-1 on the season, most recently posting a 1-1 record in the Carolina’s Cup in Charlotte, NC last weekend. Clemson defeated Furman by a score of 2-1 and fell to tournament-host UNC-Charlotte 3-1.

Sophomore midfielder Molly Franklin leads Clemson in points, tallying one goal and eight assists for 10 points. Franklin currently leads the NCAA with a 1.33 assists per game average and was named to the Carolina’s Cup All-Tournament Team last weekend.

Senior All-American goalkeeper Ashley Phillips has allowed just one goal in the five matches she has played in this season. She has also recorded 19 saves and two solo shutouts in 380 minutes of play. Senior forward Nuria Zufia is the Lady Tigers’ leading goal scorer with four in five matches played. Three of Zufia’s four goals were game-winners.

South Carolina is ranked seventh according to Soccer America, 10th by the NSCAA and 16th by Soccer Buzz. The Gamecocks are 7-0 on the season and defeated UNC-Charlotte 2-0 and Furman 2-0 to win the Carolina’s Cup last weekend. South Carolina is led by Darcel Mollon with five goals and one assist for 11 points on the season. Goalkeeper Lindsay Thorstenson has allowed one goal and collected 17 saves in 450 minutes played.

Clemson has a 9-3 advantage in the series over the Gamecocks, which dates back to the 1995 season. The home team has won each of the last four contests in the rivalry with Clemson dropping a 1-0 decision to South Carolina in Columbia last season. Lady Tiger Head Coach Todd Bramble is 4-2 all-time against the Gamecocks.

Friday night’s game between Clemson and South Carolina will be broadcast live on the Internet via ACC Select. Fans can watch the action by clicking on the link below. For more information, visit ACCSelect.com.

Watch Clemson vs. South Carolina Live!

Live statistics for the match will also be available on www.clemsontigers.com. The statistics can be accessed by selecting the corresponding Gametracker link in the schedule window on www.clemsontigers.com.