Oct. 26, 2006
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The No. 12 South Carolina men’s soccer team (11-3-1, 4-2-1 C-USA) concludes its 2006 regular season slate on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the University of Tulsa. The Gamecocks and Golden Hurricane will kick off at 8:05 p.m. ET at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Complex in Tulsa, Okla. Fans can follow the match live online through Gametracker on USCsports.com
South Carolina will be back in Tulsa next Tuesday as the 2006 Conference USA Tournament begins on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Not only does Saturday’s match have implications on Conference USA Tournament seeding, it also could help to determine the league’s regular season champion. On the final night of conference play, SMU, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tulsa all have a shot to claim the regular season title.
An SMU win over Marshall would give the Mustangs the title outright. If South Carolina wins at Tulsa, and SMU and Kentucky loses or ties in their respective matches on Saturday, the Gamecocks would win the C-USA title outright.
Kentucky could claim the conference crown if the Wildcats defeat Memphis, Carolina ties or loses at Tulsa and SMU ties or loses to Marshall. If Tulsa beats South Carolina, the Golden Hurricane could win the title if SMU loses to Marshall and Kentucky ties or loses to Memphis.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcomes, South Carolina is assured a top four seed in the Conference USA Tournament. Brackets will be finalized following Saturday’s matches.
SOUTH CAROLINA UPDATE
South Carolina owns a 11-3-1 record overall and 4-2-1 mark in Conference matches. Last week, the Gamecocks played No. 1 SMU to a 1-1 tie in Dallas and defeated UCF, 2-1, on Saturday night at home.
Senior Mike Sambursky leads South Carolina in scoring with 20 points on five goals and eight assists. Senior Ayo Akinsete, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and NSCAA National Player of the Week, is the Gamecocks second-leading scorer with 12 points on five goals and two assists. Freshman Jeff Scannella has reached the 10-point plateau with three goals and four assists and stands as the Gamecocks’ third-leading scorer.
The Gamecocks’ offensive attack is fairly balanced. Ten different players have scored at least one goal and seven are credited with a minimum of two. South Carolina has out-shot its opponents, 208-177, and taken 73 corner kicks and while giving up 69. The Gamecocks have scored 27 goals and allowed 15.
Sophomore goalkeeper Mike Gustavson has an 0.97 goals-against average after playing all 1,394:02. He has made 57 saves and posted six shutouts. Gustavson is this week’s C-USA Defensive Player of the Week and also made Soccer America’s National Team of the Week.
QUICKLY …
>> South Carolina and Tulsa will play for the third time on Saturday. The Gamecocks own a 2-0-0 advantage in the all-time series.
>> The two teams met twice in 2005. The Gamecocks won the regular season contest, 4-1, in Columbia on Oct. 28, 2005. Carolina also defeated TU, 1-0, in the Conference USA Tournament Championship match in Dallas on Nov. 13.
>> After Saturday’s contest in Tulsa, the Gamecocks will travel back to Columbia on Sunday. They will return to Tulsa on Tuesday for the Conference USA Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
>> Dating back to last season, the Gamecocks are 23-5-3 in their last 31 matches.
>> South Carolina went undefeated at home in conference play with a 4-0-0 record. The Gamecocks will be looking for their first C-USA road win of the season on Saturday at Tulsa. Carolina is currently 0-2-1.
>> The Gamecocks are 7-3 in matches decided by one goal this season, while Tulsa is 4-4.
>> South Carolina’s .767 winning percentage (11-3-1) ranks tied for 11th nationally.
POLL POSITION
South Carolina is No. 12 in the latest National Soccer Coaches’ Association of America Poll and No. 4 in the NSCAA South Region Poll. The Gamecocks are No. 11 according to College Soccer News, No. 13 in the Soccer Times poll. Soccer America ranks South Carolina No. 16.
SCOUTING TULSA
The University of Tulsa is currently in fourth place with 12 points in the Conference USA standings. The Golden Hurricane have a 7-9-0 overall record and a 4-3-0 mark in league play, including a 2-1-0 mark at home. On Wednesday night, the Golden Hurricane fell at home to Kentucky, 1-0.
In Conference USA action, Tulsa has defeated UCF, Florida International, Marshall and UAB and lost to Memphis, SMU and Kentucky. Eric Burkholder leads TU in scoring with 12 points on a team-high five goals and two assists. Jose Prada is the club’s second-leading scorer with 11 points on four goals and three assists. Tyrel Lacey has been Tulsa’s starter in goal of late. Lacy sports a 1.33 goals-against average to go with a 4-2-0 record, 29 saves and a pair of shutouts.
Tulsa has scored 19 goals this season and allowed 26. The Golden Hurricane has also been out-shot 199-197.
Tom McIntosh is in his 12th season as Tulsa’s head coach.
CAROLINA VS. CONFERENCE USA
The Gamecocks hold a 25-8-5 all-time record against Conference USA opponents. In its first season competing in the league in 2005, Carolina finished with a 7-1-1 mark during regular season competition and 2-0-1 in the C-USA Tournament on the way to winning the title. Here’s a look at the Gamecocks’ history versus league teams, including a 4-2-1 mark this season:
Team Home Away Neutral OverallUAB 1-1-0 1-0-0 2-0-0 4-1-0UCF 2-0-0 2-0-0 0-0-1 4-0-1FIU 3-0-1 3-0-0 0-0-0 7-0-1Kentucky 2-0-0 1-1-0 0-0-1 3-1-1Marshall 0-1-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 0-2-0Memphis 1-0-0 0-0-1 1-0-0 2-0-1SMU 3-0-0 0-1-1 0-3-0 3-4-1Tulsa 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-0-0 2-0-0Totals 14-2-1 7-3-2 4-3-2 25-8-5
