Carolina Set for Trip to Queen City to Take On 49ers
The Gamecocks look to capitalize on momentum from a 2-1 victory on Tuesday
COLUMBIA– The Gamecocks are set to line up against Charlotte on Saturday night in the Queen City for their first road match since Sept. 3. Carolina comes into the match with momentum after a 2-1 victory against Mercer on Tuesday night in Stone Stadium.
Fans can watch a live stream the match on CUSA.tv and can find live stats at Charlotte49ers.com.
GAMECOCK NOTABLES
Logan Frost and Jared Gulden scored for Carolina against the Bears. Frost netted his first goal of the season and Gulden scored the first goal of his career on Tuesday night.
Head coach Tony Annan said he was most impressed with the way his team fought off attacks in a pressure-packed final 15 minutes of play.
The Gamecocks are 25th in the country in corner kicks per game. Carolina is averaging 6.71 corner kicks through seven matches.
Frost assisted on Gulden’s goal to take over the lead in points for the Gamecocks. He has totaled five points this season.
Carolina owns a 15-11-4 series advantage against Charlotte. The last time the two squads squared off was on March 20, and the 49ers won 2-0.
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Charlotte is on a two-match win streak of its own. The 49ers have consecutive victories against UNC-Wilmington and Niagara.
The 49ers have received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this year, but did not get any votes in the latest installment of the rankings on Tuesday.
Joe Brito and Kameron Lacey both have notched eight points this season for Charlotte. Both players have scored three goals and made two assists.
The 49ers are also familiar with corner kicks. They are tied for 17th in the NCAA in corner kicks per match with seven.
Kevin Langan is in his 10th year and has won over 100 matches with Charlotte.
SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: South Carolina leads 15-11-4
Last Meeting: 3/20/2021
Last South Carolina Win: 9/27/2013, 2-1
Last Charlotte Win: 3/20/2021, 2-0
Last Tie: 10/20/2017, 1-1 (2OT)
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Tony Annan on …
… his thoughts after the Mercer victory:
“It was good to get a W at home. It was good for the camaraderie of the lads to celebrate a victory. It was nice. We played very well. Looking back at the tape, I was very happy with the amount of chances we created and our transition to attack was fantastic. Obviously, like I said post match, it was the guts and the grit we had to get that result when we were under pressure within the last 10 minutes. That’s what I was most happy with.”
… what he’s focused on against Charlotte:
“It’s a different match. We’ve got to give them some respect. They’re a very good team. We obviously have to try and create as many chances as we can while trying to stop them from creating their chances because they are a better team than most. We’ll do what we can to try and get a result.”
… if they see conference play any differently:
“No, I don’t think so. Every game we play, we try to win and do our thing. We try and play our style.”
