September 4, 2001

COLUMBIA, S.C. – While battling through the rain, No. 17 South Carolina made a second-half comeback to defeat No. 12 Penn State, 3-2, in the Gamecock season opener at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium. USC improves to 1-0, while Penn State falls to 1-1.

Nittany Lion Derek Potteiger, who was assisted by Ricardo Villar, scored their first goal of the match in the 21st minute. Potteiger, returning the favor, assisted Villar on Penn State’s second goal, just forty seconds later. South Carolina would enter halftime trailing Penn State by two.

In the second half, South Carolina came out strong. Preseason All-America Ryan Daley netted his first goal of the season off a pass from Jordan Quinn, at the 51:42 mark. Quinn would register his second assist of the match after freshman Anthony Stovall headed the ball over the goalkeeper,tying the match at 2-2. With under seven minutes remaining in regulation, Ryan Barber put the ball in the back of the net off the assist by Daley to score the game-winning goal. Gamecock goalkeeper Michael Bachmeyer had a remarkable match, posting 10 saves, while tallying an assist on Stovall’s game-tying goal. Bachmeyer replaces Henry Ring, who was the MLS’s top goalkeeper drafted in last year’s draft.

“We played great in the first half,” stated Head Coach Mark Berson. “We had chances against an outstanding soccer team. It’s not often that you come back from two goals down against a team like Penn State.”

South Carolina returns to action next weekend at the College of Charleston Classic where they will face No. 1 SMU on Friday, Sept. 7 at 5:00 p.m. and TCU on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.