The East Carolina soccer team’s dream season came to an end with a 6-0 defeat at the hands of third-seeded No. 14/18 South Carolina on Friday night in Stone Stadium.
Katie Shea Collins and Catherine Barry scored a hat trick and a brace, respectively, to lead the Gamecocks.
The Pirates (10-4-7, 5-2-3 AAC) actually had the first great chance of the game in the 12th minute when Samantha Moxie took a left-footed strike on a give-and-go with Sydney Schnell but her curling shot sailed safely wide of the net to keep the game scoreless.
South Carolina (11-3-7. 5-2-3 SEC) got on the board in the 31st minute with a Gracie Falla long ball over the top which found the quick feet of Collins who had nothing between her and the goal but Maeve English. Collins took her strike well and finished to the right of the net for the goal.
In short succession the Gamecocks got in behind and a Juliana Viera foul sent Catherine Barry to the penalty spot rather than give up the easy one. Barry converted with ease from the spot.
South Carolina added a third in the 55th minute when Barry got through the defense once again on a Pirates miscue and beat English to the far post for the 3-0 adåvantage. Collins got on the board for her brace on a nice feed from Hallie Meadows with a double assist by Corinna Zullo for the four-goal lead just two minutes later.
The Gamecocks earned another penalty kick in the 62nd minute but Reagan Schubach’s strike was stopped by English this time as the veteran keeper stood tall in her net for another tremendous save on her career docket. It was a save that won’t go down in the history books, but it sure was emblematic of the fight of #31. What a career.
Collins got her hat trick on a point-blank score in the 76th minute on a beauty of a cross from Barry. The Pirates never had much of a shot at stopping it.
The Gamecocks scored one last tie in the 82nd minute when substitute keeper Taylor Fox converted yet another penalty.
The Positives: Five minutes into the game, Maeve English became the 25th goalkeeper in NCAA history to play 8,000 career minutes. Abby Sowa ended her career playing 5,658 consecutive minutes without leaving the pitch. English and Annabelle Abbott end their careers having played 88 matches in Purple and Gold, sharing the program record. All of those appearances for English were starts, also the program record as she missed just one start in her illustrious career. English ends her career tied for the program benchmark with 30 shutouts. The Pirates finish with the 11th 10-plus win season in program history. The Pirates’ win percentage ends at .643, marking the sixth-consecutive season with an improved win percentage over the year prior. There is no graceful, poetic way for a season to end for any but one team in the nation. That was true of these 2024 East Carolina Pirates, but what a season it was.
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