District Five, Irmo High alum Savannah McCaskill and USC women’s soccer advance to final four

It’s always been a dream of hers, and now Irmo native Savannah McCaskill has the chance to compete for a national championship.

McCaskill and the University of South Carolina women’s soccer program advanced to its first ever College Cup with a 2-0 win over Florida on November 24. South Carolina will meet Stanford on Friday in Orlando for the right to play for the NCAA women’s soccer national title.

“It has been awesome to play right here at home. So many of my friends and family get to come to the games, and to be able to represent where I grew up is so special to me,” McCaskill said. “The goal is to win a national championship, and it’s been such a special ride.”

The Irmo High alum has had an incredible four year run with the Gamecocks, including setting the school’s single-season record in points and goals in 2016. She was also named the SEC’s offensive player of the year last season.

“The emotions are really all over the place for me. She has worked so hard to this point, and told me she wanted to win a national championship before her college career was over,” Savannah’s mother Tina said, who serves as principal at Irmo Elementary School. “Her dad and I have had the opportunity to watch her hard work over the years, and her and her teammates know they deserve to be where they are.”

While the team is ecstatic for the chance to play on the biggest stage, McCaskill has kicked in with her senior leadership to make sure they stay focused.

“We’ve done a great job all season taking each game one at a time, and it has gotten us to this point,” McCaskill said. “Our focus is on Stanford, and if we get the result we want Friday, then we will look towards a championship.”

Game time for South Carolina and Stanford is set for 5:00 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.