No. 8 South Carolina women's soccer (10-1-4, 4-0-3 SEC) is back on the road Thursday, Oct. 16, for a conference matchup against Kentucky (9-4-2, 3-2-2 SEC). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Lexington, and fans can catch the action live on SEC+.
The Gamecocks enter the match fresh off a dominant 5-1 victory over Texas, extending their unbeaten streak in conference play. Four different players scored in the win, setting new season highs for both goals and goal scorers. Sophomore standout Katie Shea Collins delivered a career night with two goals and two assists, tying her personal best with six points and marking a career high for a total goal involvement. Collins leads the team with 10 goals this season and ranks first nationally with six game-winning scores.
Cuyler Zulauf, Anna Young, and Reagan Shubach each added goals of their own. Young's goal was the first of her collegiate career, while Shubach notched her first of season. Freshman Alexa Pino tallied two assists, and Mackenzie Johnson added her third help helper of the year.
When striking first, South Carolina is an impressive 10-0-1 this year. Senior goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis continues to anchor the defense, ranking 12th in the nation with goal-against average of 0.514. South Carolina's current No. 8 ranking marks its highest of the year and the program's best since reaching No. 7 in September 2023.
Thursday's match marks the 31st meeting between the programs. South Carolina holds a narrow edge in the all-time series, 15-13-2, but has dominated since 2016 with an 8-0-1 record. The Gamecocks earned a 1-0 win over the Wildcats in the last year's regular-season matchup on Sept. 22.
Kentucky comes into contest after a 1-1 draw with Ole Miss. The Wildcats are led by sophomores Alexis Tylenda and Anna Sikorski, who have seven goals this season. Tylenda leads the team with 18 total points.