Greenville, S.C. – Ava Tutas, Katie Shea Collins, and Mackenzie Johnson found the back of the net to lead nationally-ranked South Carolina to a 3-1 victory over Furman in the exhibition opener for both schools Sunday evening on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
 
Tutas lined a low shot in the center of the net in the 20^th minute to open the scoring and South Carolina doubled its advantage on a breakaway goal by Collins with less than 17 minutes to play. Furman's Briyah Drayton, a graduate transfer form Rollins College, drew a penalty kick in the 76^th minute and converted from the spot to trim the deficit to 2-1 before Johnson netted the Gamecocks' third goal of the night less than a minute later.
 
"It was a solid first outing for our team and we were able to get minutes for about 28 players tonight," said Paladin head coach Andrew Burr. "At this time of year, it's all about getting our work in, seeing what the newcomers can do, and playing different combinations. We look forward to getting back on the field and improving ahead of the regular season opener."
 
Sophomores Reese DeJong and Kaitlyn Urbanek split time in goal for the Paladins with DeJong notching four saves. 
 
The Paladins are back in action on Thursday evening when they travel to Boiling Springs, N.C., for an exhibition match versus Gardner-Webb.
 
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