The South Carolina women’s soccer team begins its season in a little under two weeks, and the team is looking to make a deep postseason run with many key players returning for another year.

Head coach Shelly Smith and members of the team spoke with the media for the first time this season earlier this week to discuss their expectations for the upcoming campaign.

“I remember at the end of last season, we were like, ‘We’re not done,’” fifth-year defender Hallie Meadows said. “We didn’t really reach the goals we wanted to reach, and knowing that we had more left in us, and we had the opportunity to come back, and knowing the people we were bringing in, we were like, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s run it back.’ I think we have a good shot this year and we’re so excited about this season.”

Meadows is one of five fifth-year returners for the Gamecocks. After finishing 12-3-6 last year and exciting both the SEC and NCAA tournaments much earlier than they would’ve liked, Meadows and her fellow fifth years had a decision to make. They could come back another season and hope for better results, or move on from the program and possibly conclude their collegiate soccer careers.

“I just think I felt like I had another gear that I could continue to push myself to,” fifth-year forward Cat Barry said. “In the environment I’m in here, I know I’m being pushed every day by my teammates. I have an amazing coaching staff that are ready to pour into me every single day to help push me and get me to be where I need to be. And I just felt like I had another year, both to kind of prove who I was and what I was capable of.”

Along with Barry and Meadows, Corinna Zullo, Brianna Behm and Taylor Fox returned for a fifth year. The team also returns seniors Lily Render, Micah Bryant, Megan Spiehs and Emma Bucci to round out an experienced group.

Smith said their return plus the contributions from the underclassmen and incoming freshmen and transfers makes for one of the most talented teams she’s coached in her 25 years at the school.

“This is probably one of the hardest jobs we’ve ever had as far as going into a preseason. We probably have the most depth and the most talent, not quite knowing where we’re going to put people yet just because it’s so competitive, so that’s an exciting piece for sure,” Smith said. “I’m excited about the season and the competition we have lined up and just overall the quality on this team, the excitement these players bring to the field every day. Already they’ve shown just what they’re going to be able to do and the potential I see in this group.”

The team will still have to work to fill some gaps that were created by players who did depart from the program, including goalie Heather Hinz, who was the starter the four previous seasons.

“Coach Marnie Merritt who works with the goalkeepers has a tough job too,” Smith said. “We kind of let her, with her goalkeeper expertise, decide, ‘Okay, who’s ready, who’s best suited to kick it off?’ And we obviously work and talk about things.”

The team has four options at keeper on the roster right now, including Fox. Incoming transfer Jenna Hall has a good shot at earning the spot after a historic career at Bucknell where she was twice named Patriot League goalkeeper of the year. Christina Tsaousis and Maria Kemp are returning underclassmen who have little to no playing experience, but multiple seasons of practice in the program.

The Gamecocks will have to make these decisions before they open their season Aug. 18 against Furman at home. Before that, the team will play an exhibition game against Wake Forest on Aug. 10.

“We’re itching to get started. We want to win a national championship and nothing shy of that,” Meadows said. “We want the SEC regular season, the SEC tournament. We want it all, and we’re so ready to get started and start proving ourselves.”