Oct. 20, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of South Carolina men’s soccer team battled through 110 minutes of highly competitive Conference USA action on Saturday, drawing a 1-1 tie against No. 25 Memphis in a double overtime match at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex. Freshman forward Blake Brettschneider tallied the lone Gamecock goal in the 58th minute on an assist from sophomore Schuyler Reardon, and freshman goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer contributed a strong performance in net, collecting two saves in the complete game effort. Following the tie, Carolina’s record stands at 8-4-1, including a 2-1-1 mark in C-USA play, while Memphis owns a 7-2-4 overall mark, with a 2-0-3 league record.
“The game tonight was very hard-fought by both teams,” South Carolina head coach Mark Berson said. “Memphis played better in the first half and I thought we played better in the second half. We came out in the second half and were able to link together a lot of passes and gain some momentum. We had a great opportunity, capitalized and scored. To Memphis’ credit, they responded very quickly and that was the type of game it was – two teams that went toe-to-toe for 110 minutes. I’m very proud of our guys tonight; Memphis is another nationally-ranked team we played on the road, and while we are disappointed to give up a goal and lose three points we would have gained with a win, it was good to come away with something.”
The game proved a physical match, as Carolina tallied 12 fouls and the Tigers committed 10. Brettschneider’s goal marked his fourth of the season, while Reardon’s assist was his third helper of the year. Sophomore midfielder Jeff Scannella paced the Gamecock offense with a season high five shots, including three on goal. Brettschneider contributed four shots, and junior David Smith and senior Daniel Upchurch each added two shots for the Gamecocks.
Maurer played a strong game in net, collecting two saves, while Memphis counterpart Tyler Strom tallied five saves. Michael Coburn scored the only Memphis tally in the match, finishing on an assist from Brian Farrell.
Following a scoreless opening half, Carolina registered the first goal in the 58th minute, as Brettschneider connected on a throw-in from Reardon, heading the ball into the back netting for a 1-0 Carolina upperhand. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Tigers countered just 28 seconds later on a goal by Coburn to even the score at 1-1.
The Gamecocks dominate the remainder of the half, drawing four corner kicks and out-shooting the Tigers 5-1. Neither team found the back of the net however, forcing the first of two, 10-minute sudden death overtime periods.
Scannella registered the only shot of the opening overtime period, sending a ball just wide of the left post in the 99th minute. Carolina rallied for an offensive fury in the second overtime, posting three shots against just one by the Tigers, but Strom collected one save and USC was unable to connect in the final minutes for the deciding 1-1 score.
South Carolina continues Conference USA play on Wednesday, hosting No. 6 SMU in a nationally-televised contest on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m. Fans are encouraged to attend, as various promotions will be offered, including $1 entry for all, Fox Soccer Channel bag tags to the first 500 fans in attendance, while Carolina T-shirts and hats and autograph cards will also be available.
