Columbia, S.C. — The No. 10 South Carolina women’s soccer team (10–1–4) delivered one of its most complete performances of the season Thursday night, rolling past the Texas Longhorns (3–10–1) with a 5–1 victory at Stone Stadium.
From the opening whistle, the Gamecocks set the tone with aggressive attacks and steady ball control. After early chances from both sides and a pair of key saves from senior goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis, South Carolina found its breakthrough midway through the first half.
Junior midfielder Cuyler Zulauf opened the scoring, slotting home a perfectly placed pass from sophomore forward Katie Shea Collins after weaving through a cluster of Texas defenders. Moments later, Collins doubled the advantage with a spectacular strike that soared over multiple Longhorn defenders and curled into the top corner of the net.
“It’s always tough playing a program like Texas,” Collins said. “We remembered how things went last year in the SEC Championship, and we came out with something to prove. Everyone just kept their heads down and worked hard — and it showed.”
South Carolina’s offense didn’t let up. Graduate midfielder Anna Young recorded her first career goal late in the first half, finishing off an assist from freshman Alexa Pino and Collins to give the Gamecocks a commanding 3–0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Reagan Schubach extended the margin to 4–0 after a video review confirmed her goal, again with Pino assisting. Texas finally broke through in the 72nd minute when freshman defender Annie Gnidula converted off a pass from Ava McDonald, but the Gamecocks quickly responded.
Collins struck again in the closing minutes, taking a feed from freshman Mackenzie Johnson and driving a low shot through the center of the net to make it 5–1 — her second goal and third total contribution of the night.
Head coach Shelley Smith praised her team’s composure and offensive execution, noting how the Gamecocks built on recent training sessions.
“Tonight we really showed what we’ve been working toward — sharper execution, consistent pressure, and good defensive moments,” Smith said. “Now it’s about maintaining that level and building into our next match.”
The Gamecocks’ attack was relentless, scoring goals in quick succession throughout the match. The first two came just eight minutes apart in the opening half, while the second-half strikes arrived within 11 minutes of each other — momentum that kept the Longhorns on their heels all night.
With the win, South Carolina remains one of the SEC’s top contenders heading into next week’s road test.
Up Next:
The Gamecocks travel to Lexington to face Kentucky at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The match will air live on SEC Network and ESPN+.
