Sept. 28, 2004

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 15 South Carolina men’s soccer team (5-1-1) travels to Davidson College (3-4-0) on Wednesday, Sept. 29. for a 7 p.m. contest with the Wildcats. The Gamecocks will be looking to snap Davidson’s two-game win streak in the series.

Gamecock Update
South Carolina enters the weekend with a 5-1-1 record after an impressive 1-0 road win at then-No. 13 Wake Forest last Friday. Carolina was able to bounce back against the Demon Deacons after a a loss and a tie at the Penn Soccer Classic, which was held Sept. 17 and 19 in Philadelphia.

After a one-week absence, South Carolina has returned the national rankings, appearing in all four national polls. USC is ranked No. 15 in both the National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America poll and the Soccer America poll. The Gamecocks are 23rd in the Soccer Times poll and 23rd in the College Soccer News Poll.

Sophomore forward Ayo Akinsete, who was the Gamecocks’ leading scorer as season ago, paces the team with four goals and eight points this season. Freshman forward Sebastian Lindholm is next with seven points on two goals and three assists. Junior defender Josh Alcala is also tied for the team high with three assists.

Sophomore goalkeeper Brad Guzan has racked up 38 saves and owns a 0.97 goals-against average, playing every minute of the season in goal. Guzan, who is an All-America candidate, and the Carolina defense have recorded three shutouts.

Scouting Davidson
Davidson comes into Wednesday night’s contest with a 3-4-0 record. The Wildcats fell at College of Charleston, 3-1, on Sunday to open their conference slate. The Wildcats have wins over Vanderbilt, Marquette and UAB.

The Wildcats feature a balanced scoring attack with 12 players in the scoring column, including eight players with at least one goal. Robbie Reynolds leads Davidson with four points on two goals. Bart Creasman has started all seven contest and played the majority of minutes in goal. Creasman sports a 1.91 goals-against average, and he has 19 saves and two shutouts.

The Wildcats are coached by Matt Spear, who has a 39-24-6 record in his fourth year at the helm.

Davidson-South Carolina Series History
South Carolina leads the all-time series with Davidson 15-6-1, including a 6-4-1 advantage in away matches. The Wildcats knocked off Carolina last season in Columbia, picking up a 2-1 overtime victory on Oct. 31. Davidson also won the 2002 meeting, 1-0, in Davidson. The two teams first met in 1981, a match that resulted in a 4-1 USC win.

Wrapping Up a Road Trip
Wednesday’s match at Davidson marks the conclusion of a four-match road swing for the Gamecocks. The trip began during the weekend of Sept 17 and 19 as USC traveled to Philadelphia for matches against Penn and Princeton in the Penn Classic. The Gamecocks fell to Penn, 2-1, and tied Princeton, 2-2. Carolina defeated then No. 13 Wake Forest in Winston Salem on Sept. 24, 1-0.

Sunday Doubleheader
The Gamecocks will return to the friendly confines of Stone Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 3. Carolina will play host to Gardner-Webb in a match scheduled for 4 p.m. The USC-Gardner Webb tilt will follow the South Carolina women’s match with Tennessee on Sunday. Kickoff for the women’s match is set for 1 p.m.

Moon’s Memorable Goal
Freshman midfielder J.D. Moon picked a great time to score his first collegiate goal. On Friday at Wake Forest, the Gamecocks and 13th-ranked Demon Deacons had played 70 minutes of scoreless soccer. At the 72:29 mark, Moon, on the run, accepted a cross pass from Sebastian Lindholm and one-timed it past Wake goalie Brian Edwards and into the back of the net. The goal lifted the Gamecocks to a 1-0 victory over Wake Forest.

A Balanced Attack
South Carolina’s scoring wealth is spread up and down the lineup seven matches into the season. Eight different players have cracked the scoring column in 2004, including seven who have tallied at least one goal. In addition to Ayo Akinsete’s four goals and two from Sebastian Lindholm, Eric Szeszycki, Mike Sambursky, Ryan Deter, J.D. Moon and Greg Reece have all hit the back of the net. Each of those players have at least one assist as well, and Lindholm and Josh Alcala set the bar with three apiece.

South Region Udpate
Following its road victory at Wake Forest, South Carolina moved from sixth to third in this week’s NSCAA South Region Poll. Here’s a look at the South Region top 10.

1 University of North Carolina, Greensboro 6-0-1
2 Duke University 9-0-0
3 University of South Carolina 5-1-1
4 University of South Florida 5-0-2
5 Clemson University 4-2-0
6 University of Alabama at Birmingham 4-3-0
7 Florida International University 3-3-0
8 College of Charleston (S.C.) 5-3-0
9 Wake Forest University 3-3-1
10 North Carolina State University 4-3-1
Also receiving votes: Florida Atlantic, Stetson

Ranked Foes
Five of the Gamecocks’ 2004 opponents are currently ranked in at least one of college soccer’s four national polls. Duke is ranked as high as No. 2 (Soccer America). The Gamecocks and Blue Devils will meet on Oct. 31 in Columbia. William and Mary is currently as high as No. 8 (NSCAA). USC defeated The Tribe, 2-1, in the season opener on Sept. 1. Coastal Carolina’s highest ranking this week is No. 18 (College Soccer News), and the Gamecocks will take on the Chanticleers Nov. 5 in the College of Charleston Tournament. Portland, who South Carolina beat, 3-2, on Sept. 10, comes in as high as No. 20 (Soccer America). Finally, Wake Forest appears in the College Soccer News Poll this week at No. 25.