May 13, 2010
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Matches against seven teams that participated in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, including two that advanced to the College Cup and five that were ranked in the final NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Top 25 Poll, highlight the upcoming 2010 season of South Carolina men’s soccer. The Gamecocks will host nine home dates at Stone Stadium, including one exhibition contest this fall.
“We have faced some very demanding schedules through the years, but I honestly believe this is the toughest schedule we have ever put together,” South Carolina head coach Mark Berson said. “We have a veteran group returning this fall, and we look forward to playing some of the best teams in the country.”
From the final NSCAA Top 25 Poll, Carolina will host No. 24 Connecticut in the final contest of the annual Gamecock Classic event in mid-September. The Gamecocks will travel to No. 3 Wake Forest for a mid-season non-conference matchup in late September, before facing No. 7 Tulsa in Conference USA action on Oct.12 on the road. South Carolina will host No. 23 NC State and travel to No. 4 North Carolina on consecutive Tuesday’s in mid-October.
The Gamecocks kick off the season on the road in an exhibition contest at High Point on Aug. 21, before welcoming the College of Charleston to Stone Stadium for an exhibition matchup on Aug. 28. Clemson visits “The Graveyard” on Sept. 3 in the annual battle between the two archrivals on the pitch. Carolina has won three-consecutive contests against the Tigers, all shutouts, entering the 2010 campaign.
The Gamecocks travel to Brown for a non-conference tournament, Sept. 10-12, in Providence, R.I., where Carolina will face the Bears, an NCAA Tournament squad in 2009, and fellow Ivy League competitor Yale. South Carolina returns to Columbia to host the Gamecock Classic, Sept. 17-19. The Gamecocks will play Iona, before closing tournament action versus Connecticut.
Carolina will play four of its next five contests on the road, traveling to face Charlotte (Sept. 25), a 2009 NCAA Tournament squad, and Wake Forest (Sept. 28), who advanced to the College Cup last season, before returning to Stone Stadium for a Conference USA matchup against UAB on October 3. The Gamecocks follow with contests at SMU (Oct. 6) and at Tulsa (Oct. 9), the reigning C-USA regular season and C-USA Tournament champions, before hosting NC State in a midseason non-conference matchup on Oct. 12.
The Gamecocks begin the final stretch of the regular season hosting conference foe UCF on Oct. 16 before traveling to face 2009 College Cup participant North Carolina (Oct. 19) in non-conference play, and on the road at Marshall (Oct. 23). FIU (Oct. 27) and Memphis (Oct. 31) close out the home portion of the schedule at Stone Stadium, while the Gamecocks conclude the regular season at Kentucky on Nov. 7 in Lexington.
All dates and times are subject to change. Please visit www.GamecocksOnline.com for updated men’s soccer news, including up-to-date game dates and times, as well as promotional events.
