Oct. 11, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina men’s soccer team (6-3-2, 1-0-1 C-USA) travels to face the Kentucky Wildcats (5-4-2, 1-1-0) in a road Conference USA contest on Sunday. South Carolina holds a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series between the Gamecocks and Wildcats.

QUICK TAKES
• South Carolina has won three of its last five contests, while also collecting one loss and one tie.
• The Gamecocks defeated FIU 2-0 on Oct. 4 to kick off their C-USA campaign with a victory.
• Sophomore sensation Sam Arthur has a team-best 10 goals in 11 contests this year. He has also contributed three assists for a total of 23 points.
• Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer has led Carolina to six shutouts this season, a career-best for the sophomore netminder.

SERIES INFORMATION
South Carolina holds a 4-1-1 advantage in the all-time series between the Gamecocks and Wildcats. The squads played in consecutive seasons in 1991-1992, and then did not meet again until the 2005 C-USA campaign. South Carolina looks for its second-consecutive victory against the Wildcats.

LAST TIME OUT
The South Carolina men’s soccer team drew a 1-1 tie against No. 25 SMU on the road in Conference USA play on Wednesday. Following the match, Carolina’s record stands at 6-3-2, including a 1-0-1 mark in league play, while SMU holds a 6-3-2 overall mark and a 0-2-1 C-USA record. Sophomore striker Blake Brettschneider tallied South Carolina’s lone goal of the match, while goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer collected six saves in net for the Gamecocks.

MAURER EARNS RECORD-SETTING CONFERENCE HONOR
South Carolina goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Maurer collected his sixth shutout of the season, a single-season career high for the sophomore, to lead South Carolina to a 2-0 victory over Florida International last Saturday in its 2008 league opener. The award is Maurer’s fourth weekly honor in 2008 and the fifth of his career. The four honors tie for the most C-USA weekly men’s soccer awards in one season.

BRETTSCHNEIDER FINDS HIS GROOVE
Sophomore striker Blake Brettschneider has found his groove on the front line during the month of October for the Gamecocks. Brettschneider has tallied one goal in each of South Carolina’s Conference USA contests this season, including the lone Gamecock goal against SMU. Brettschneider has collected four goals and two assists this season.

IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS
Sam Arthur ranks sixth in points per game (2.30) and is tied for third with 1.00 goals per game in the most updated NCAA statistics (games through Oct. 6). Classmate Jimmy Maurer also makes an appearance in the national stats, ranking tied for 18th with a .870 save percentage.