Nov. 7, 2010
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team (9-6-2, 4-3-1 C-USA) suffered a 2-1 loss on the road at Kentucky (7-7-4, 4-2-2 C-USA) in the final match of the regular season for both teams on Sunday afternoon at the UK Soccer Complex in Lexington. South Carolina’s 4-3-1 mark in Conference USA propels the Gamecocks into the conference tournament, which will take place Nov. 10-14 in Memphis. Senior forward Blake Brettschneider scored his fifth goal of the season in the loss for Carolina.
“This was a very physical game from the opening whistle,” South Carolina head coach Mark Berson said. “We lost Evan O’Dell in the opening half after he got elbowed in the face and had to leave the game with a concussion. Kevin Stam came in and did an excellent job in his place during the second half. We showed a lot of character coming back and tying the game, but they made a play at the end that won the match. Now our challenge is to regroup in a short period of time, and get ready to play in the conference tournament on Wednesday.”
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The goal for Brettschneider ties him for the team lead with five goals on the year and improves his point total to 18, which leads the Gamecocks. He finished the eight-game C-USA regular season with three goals and six assists. Sophomore defender Mike Mangotic earned the assist on the tally, his second of the season. South Carolina freshman midfielder Bradlee Baladez led the squad with three shots, including one on goal, while seniors Sam Arthur and Will Traynor and freshman Chipper Root each contributed one shot in the match.
Gamecock netminder Jimmy Maurer collected six saves, the most for the senior goalkeeper in any C-USA contest this season. Kentucky counterpart Tyler Beadle collected one save, while sophomore midfielder Matt Lodge led the Wildcats with four shots, including three on goal. Junior defender Brad Walker scored UK’s first goal, while freshman forward Brendan Murphy earned the game winner.
Both teams had their chances at frame in the opening half, with Baladez sending a shot wide in the sixth minute before Maurer collected his first save of the match on a strike by UK’s Dylan Asher at the 10-minute mark. Beadle saved a threat by Root in the 17th minute and Kentucky saw a shot blocked and another go high over the crossbar minutes later, as the contest stood scoreless at the 27-minute mark.
Back and forth play followed before Walker’s tally late in the half. The Wildcats drew a free kick with just under one minute remaining before halftime after a Gamecock foul just outside the 18-yard box. UK’s Matt Lodge lofted the free kick into the six-yard box, which Jordan Rose flicked to Walker for the 1-0 UK upperhand.
South Carolina earned the equalizer just two minutes into the second half to knot the score at 1-1. Mangotic hit a corner kick into the Wildcat penalty area, which Brettschneider redirected past Beadle to tie the contest with 43 minutes remaining in regulation. The teams traded possessions, battling through 40 minutes of scoreless play before Murphy hit a strike into the left corner of the goal for the game winner in the 87th minute on a corner kick opportunity for the Wildcats.
South Carolina travels to Memphis for the 2010 Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday. Seeding and game times will be released Sunday evening on GamecocksOnline.com.
