Oct. 10, 2012
October 10, 2012
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Total |
| UAB | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Coach Berson |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team (4-6-2, 1-3-1 C-USA) suffered a 4-3 loss to visiting No. 25 UAB (7-3-2, 2-1-0 C-USA) on Wednesday night in Conference USA action at Stone Stadium. The match concluded a three-game conference homestand for Carolina.
South Carolina posted nine shots on goal compared to seven shots on frame from the Blazers. Sophomore forward Snoopy Davidson, freshman midfielder Jeffrey Torda and sophomore midfielder Braeden Troyer each scored for Carolina. Junior striker Bradlee Baladez was credited with two assists, while sophomore midfielder Asa Kryst also posted an assist in the match. Goalkeeper Alex Long earned three saves.
UAB was led by Mladen Lemez with two goals in the match, including a penalty kick and also the game winner, with both of his goals coming in the last five minutes of play. Reed Matte and Karl Chester also posted scores for UAB. Goalkeeper Raphael Ville posted six saves in the match.
South Carolina scored just two minutes into the match. On an early corner kick opportunity, Baladez sent a perfect cross into the six-yard box, which Davidson made contact with, heading the shot past Ville for a 1-0 Carolina advantage.
Ville pushed a hard shot from Stephen Anderson over the crossbar 15 minutes into the match, and UAB had chances at frame midway through the contest, as Long earned a save on a shot from Kofi Gyawu in the 28th minute and Moses Adeniran saw an attempt blocked moments later.
UAB tied the contest in the 37th minute following a Blazer corner. The ball was cleared outside of the Gamecock 18-yard box, but a UAB defender collected the loose ball, and sent it to Chase Wickham on the right sideline. Wickham played a ball into the path of Matte, who pushed a shot just inside the near post for the score. The Blazers would end the first half with 10 corner kick opportunities, compared to four for the Gamecocks.
The Gamecocks played stellar to open the second half. South Carolina pushed its lead to 2-1 in the 55th minute when Torda capitalized on a rebound from Kryst’s shot. Baladez played a ball to Kryst down the right sideline on a quick restart and Kryst hit a shot towards the upper right corner of the goal, which Ville saved, but Torda scored on a header for the Gamecock advantage.
Troyer gave the Gamecocks a two-goal lead midway through the second half. He hit a one-time shot on a cross from Baladez, low and to the center of the goal from 15 yards out to put the score at 3-1 Gamecocks in the 76th minute.
UAB would answer in the final minutes of play. Chester scored on assists from Kofi Gyawu and Ian Svantesson in the 83rd minute, before Lemez posted two scores in the final minutes of play for a 4-3 UAB upperhand.
South Carolina travels to Marshall on Saturday continuing Conference USA play. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET, with live stats available via GamecocksOnline.com.
