Carolina tops LSU in PKs, advances to second straight SEC title game

There’s just something about these matchups between South Carolina and LSU.

In a game eerily similar to the last three showdowns between these two – as well as Thursday’s quarter-final victory over Kentucky – No. 20 Carolina prevailed in penalty kicks once again, playing the Tigers to a 1-1 draw before outscoring them 4-3 in its third straight shootout at Orange Beach, Ala. The win sets up a rematch with No. 7 Florida in the title game on Sunday afternoon

“I don’t know if I can take much more of these games,” coach Shelley Smith said, jokingly. “I’m proud of how we stepped up under pressure and did what we needed to do to advance today.”

Despite playing in blistering wind once again and coming off a 110-minute match the day before, Carolina came out strong early against an LSU team recovering from similar strain. The Gamecocks managed a 6-4 shot advantage in the first half and nearly took the lead in the eighth minute when senior forward Brooke Jacobs had a 12-yard shot blocked.

In the 29th minute, however, junior forward and Hermann Trophy candidate Kayla Grimsley found a seam in the defense and capitalized. Overcoming man-coverage from LSU defender Reyna Lubin, Grimsley fired a shot past keeper Megan Kinneman to give Carolina a 1-0 lead.

“She’s the player of the year in the conference,” Smith said. “She’s well-deserving obviously from her performance here at SEC’s and all season. We can count on her to be a threat at all times. She’ll look to score goals and set up others. She knows how to carry a team on her back and always be a threat up top.”

Besides being her 12th of the season, Grimsley’s strike earned her yet another milestone. With 34 points on the season, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year is tied with Jennie Ondo for USC’s single-season record, one that has stood for 15 years.

“It’s an honor,” Grimsley said. “That individual honor was incredible. She’s held that for a long time and it’s awesome to tie her. It would be great to pass it, but the only thing right now is to win Sunday, bring Columbia another ring and to host the NCAA Tournament.”

From there, the Gamecocks retained the lead as the match moved into the second half, keeping the LSU offense at bay and leading considerably in the shot count. That changed in minute 78, however. Fielding a cross from forward Addie Eggleston, LSU’s Carlie Banks managed to knock one past senior goalkeeper Mollie Patton, tying it up at 1-1.

“We were disappointed in ourselves to give up that late goal,” Smith said. “We had control a lot of the game, but great credit to LSU to do what they needed to do.”

Carolina came close on a number of occasions to regain the lead – including a cross from sophomore defender Christine Watts that was grabbed out of the air by Kinneman before junior forward Maria Petroni could get a head on it – but after 90 minutes, the score remained tied and the match proceeded into extra time.

The Gamecocks maintained the advantage in both overtime periods, outshooting the Tigers 6-1 and nearly earning the win on a long shot from junior midfielder Kira Campbell. No goals came, however, and the matchup moved to PKs for the second time in two years.

LSU’s Mo Isom and junior midfielder Kortney Rhoades each managed to score in the first round, followed by a pair of saves from Kinneman and Patton in the second. The third round saw the score remain tied when forward Danielle Murphy and freshman midfielder Kelsey Barr converted their attempts, but after the Tigers failed to score on a high shot from forward Courtney Alexander, senior defender Brittiny Rhoades put the Gamecocks ahead 3-2 heading into the final round.

LSU managed to tie it up once again on a goal from Kinneman on the opening shot of the round, putting Grimsley in position to win it for the second consecutive day. The Lakeland, Fla., native rose to the occasion, sending a laser past Kinneman to put Carolina in the championship game for the second year in a row.

“It was a battle. Every time we play a team like LSU it’s a battle,” Grimsley said. “Even in the regular season we only beat them 1-0 and it was a battle. We came in and scored a decent goal. We had the run of play for most of the game and outshot them. We had one little mistake and let it go in. We just fought back and said we weren’t going to lose.”