Sept. 16, 2010

GAMECOCK CLASSIC INFORMATION

Date: Friday, September 17 – Sunday, September 19
Match #1: Kentucky vs. UConn, Friday – 5 p.m.
Match #2: South Carolina vs. Iona, Friday – 7:30 p.m.
Match #3: Kentucky vs. Iona, Sunday – 11 a.m.
Match #4: South Carolina vs. UConn, Sunday – 1 p.m.
Location: Stone Stadium. Columbia, S.C.
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com

Game Notes

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 33rd year of varsity soccer.
– Head coach Mark Berson is the only head men’s soccer coach in school history. He enters weekend action with a 419-169-56 all-time record at the school and a 430-174-56 career record (spent one season at The Citadel prior to appointment at South Carolina).
– Entering the 2010 campaign, Berson ranked second among active coaches in victories (428) and eighth among the winningest coaches all-time in Division I history.
– Berson is assisted by Bert Molinary, in his seventh season at South Carolina, and Mike Babst, in his fourth.
– The Gamecocks are receiving votes in this week’s (Sept. 14th) NSCAA Top 25 Poll. The squad also received votes in the Sept. 7th poll.
– South Carolina enters weekend action with a 2-1-0 record. The Gamecocks defeated Clemson, 2-0, in the season opener, before falling to Brown, 1-0, and rebounding with a 1-0 shutout victory over Yale.
– Three Gamecock men’s soccer players were named to the Brown Classic All-Tournament Team. Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, senior defender Will Traynor and sophomore defender Mike Mangotic were honored with selection to the squad.
– Freshman midfielder Bradlee Baladez scored his first-career college goal in South Carolina’s 1-0 victory over Yale last Sunday.
– Did you know? South Carolina has scored all three of its goals this season in the second half.
– Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer collected his 21st career shutout vs. Yale last Sunday. He is tied with Glen Thompson for fourth all-time in school history in shutouts. Charlie Arndt holds the school record with 29.
– South Carolina returns a veteran group in 2010, including a seven-member senior class (Sam Arthur, Blake Brettschneider, Mike Lindsay, Will Traynor, Evan O’Dell, Jimmy Maurer and Mark Wiltse).
– The Gamecocks welcome 13 newcomers to the squad this fall, including a group of 11 true freshmen and two transfer student-athletes.

Iona Series
Friday’s contest between the Gamecocks and Gaels marks the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

UConn Series
UConn holds a 4-1-0 upperhand in the all-time series with South Carolina. The teams last met during the 2007 campaign with the Huskies earning a 3-0 victory on their home field.

Home Sweet Home
South Carolina holds an all-time record of 265-65-20 (.786) in home contests at Stone Stadium, including a 1-0-0 mark in 2010. South Carolina defeated Clemson, 2-0, in its home opener this season.

Gamecock Classic
South Carolina enters the 2010 Gamecock Classic with a 38-5-2 record in the event over the course of its existence. South Carolina has won the tournament 16 times, the most recent being during the 2008 campaign when the Gamecocks defeated Lehigh and Jacksonville to claim the tournament title.

Doug Allison Inducted Into Gamecock Hall Of Fame
Former Gamecock Doug Allison was one of eight new inductees into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday. Allison ranks as South Carolina men’s soccer’s all-time leader in points (158) and goals (63). He was a three-time All-South honoree and a 1987 All-American.

Injury Update
Injured senior forward Sam Arthur has been cleared to play after sitting out the entire preseason and South Carolina’s season opener with a foot injury. Redshirt-junior midfielder Vance Benson, who suffered a broken right leg in South Carolina’s contest vs. Clemson, will be out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair the break.

Up Next For The Gamecocks
South Carolina travels to face Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 25, for its next competition. The Gamecocks own a 12-4-3 upperhand in the all-time series between the two schools. South Carolina defeated the 49ers, 3-1, in the 2009 season opener in Columbia.