Sept. 26, 2005

DALLAS – University of South Carolina men’s soccer player Greg Reece was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. Reece becomes the first player to earn Conference USA weekly honors for the Gamecocks, who are in their inaugural season in the league.

Reece, a senior from Clemmons, N.C., helped South Carolina to a pair of wins last week at home over No. 25 UNC-Wilmington, 4-2, and at Charlotte, 2-1, in overtime. He marked the opposing team’s leading scorer in both matches, holding UNCW’s Sam Leger and Charlotte’s Adam Ruud (a 2004 All-Conference USA first-team selection) without a goal. The Gamecocks are currently on a three-match win streak.

Reece, a starter in all eight matches this season, has been dominant in the air and has acted as a stabilizing force for the Gamecock defense this season. He was selected to the all-tournament teams at both the North Carolina Nike Soccer Classic and the adidas-South Carolina Gamecock classic earlier this season. Reece is a three-year starter and captain for Carolina. A chemistry major, he earned Academic All-South Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America in 2004.

Tulsa’s Kyle Brown took home Offensive Player of the Week laurels as the Golden Hurricane upset No. 9 Creighton and took No. 2 New Mexico to overtime before falling, 2-1. Brown assisted on the game-winning goal against Creighton and scored Tulsa’s lone goal against the Lobos.

USC opens its conference slate on Sunday, Oct. 2, at East Carolina. Match time is set for 1 p.m. in Greenville, N.C.