WOMEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
On Sunday, Vermont (1-1-0, 0-0-0 AE) will host No. 4 South Carolina (2-0-1, 0-0-0 SEC) at Virtue Field. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Brian McLaughlin on the call. Tickets are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/tickets or by visiting the Gutterson Fieldhouse Box Office on gameday. 
 
RELATED LINKS
Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Tickets
 
TD BANK PEP RALLY
Prior to the start of the game, please join us for the TD Bank Pep Rally from 1-2 p.m. surrounding Virtue Field. There will be live music, food, games, giveaways and special halftime performances!
 
HOME OPENERS
With Kristi Huizenga at the helm the Catamounts are 7-2-2 in home openers. Last season Vermont defeated Merrimack 4-3 in its home opener. Their last loss in a home opener was during the COVID-shortened 2020 season when UAlbany defeated the Catamounts 2-0 in a hard-fought battle.
 
REGULAR SEASON
The Catamounts enter Sunday's game with a 1-1-0 record after two non-conference road games to start the season. Vermont defeated Sacred Heart with a 2-0 shutout win on August 18 and fell at Merrimack 3-1 on August 21. Kate Bossert leads the Catamounts with three points including a goal and an assist against Sacred Heart. Alyssa Oviedo and Sydney Remington have also contributed a goal each so far in the early campaign. Erin Murphy has been solid in net with a .786 save percentage and a clean sheet against Sacred Heart.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Vermont has won four consecutive home games dating back to last season. The last time the Catamounts played on Virtue Field it ended with them hoisting the America East Championship trophy for the first time in program history, after a 1-0 victory over New Hampshire.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
Sunday's matchup will be the first meeting between the two schools. South Carolina finished last season 15-7-1 with a 6-3-1 SEC conference mark. The Gamecocks reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament before falling to eventual runner-up BYU. The Gamecocks began this season ranked as the No. 12 team in the country and No. 3 in the SEC preseason poll. They come into Sunday's game as the No. 4 ranked team in the country. South Carolina is 2-0-1 with an opening game 0-0 tie against nationally ranked No.1 Florida State on August 18, a 2-0 win over East Carolina on August 21, and a 3-0 victory over UConn on August 25. They will be returning three of their top-four scorers from a season ago including Catherine Barry (19 Pts) and Jyllissa Harris (11 Pts). The Gamecocks are coached by UVM alum Shelley Addison Smith ('94) who is in her 22^nd season as the head coach at South Carolina.
 
CATAMOUNTS TO HOST FREE CLINIC SEPTEMBER 27
Vermont women's soccer will host a free Clinic with the Cats on Tuesday, September 27, from 4:45-5:45 p.m. on Virtue Field. All kids 12 and younger are encouraged to bring their soccer gear and will receive an hour-long skills and drills session from the coaching staff and members of the team. If interested, please RSVP to Rallycatamount@uvm.edu to sign up. Deadline to register is Thursday, September 22, at 5 p.m. All kids attending will receive a free ticket to the men's soccer game following the clinic as they will host UMass at 7 p.m. on Virtue Field.
 
RALLY AROUND MENTAL HEALTH
Next Sunday's (Sep. 4) home game against Rhode Island will be the annual Rally Around Mental Health Game, which is an initiative that was created to help raise awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. Led by student-athletes, Rally Around Mental Health initiatives offer educational programming and activities to promote mental health. If you are interested in helping the Rally Around Mental Health initiative bring more resources and programming to UVM athletics, please visit go.uvm.edu/ramh.