Sept. 18, 2008

South Carolina vs. College of Charleston | Friday, 7 p.m.

Live Stats | Game Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Fresh off two shutout victories in its home invitational, the South Carolina men’s soccer team (3-2-1) travels to low country rival College of Charleston (4-2-0) for a 7 p.m. non-conference match on Friday at the Patriots Point Athletic Complex. South Carolina holds a 15-5-3 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, including a 3-2-2 record in Charleston. The contest begins a stretch of three consecutive games against Southern Conference opponents for the Gamecocks.

QUICK TAKES
• South Carolina rides a two-game winning streak into Friday’s match against Charleston.
• Sophomore Sam Arthur tallied four of Carolina’s five goals during adidas Classic play to earn Offensive MVP honors at the event.
• The Gamecocks have allowed just one goal in their last three outings, collecting two shutouts during that time.

SERIES INFORMATION
South Carolina holds a 15-5-3 advantage in the all-time series against College of Charleston, however, the Cougars have won four of the last five meetings between the two schools.

LAST TIME OUT
South Carolina collected a 3-0 win over Lehigh and a 2-0 victory against Jacksonville to claim the 2008 adidas Gamecock Classic tournament title last weekend. Sam Arthur led Carolina during weekend action with four goals, while junior midfielder Jeff Scannella tallied his first goal of the season against Lehigh. Sophomore goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer, sophomore defender Will Traynor, junior defender Mario Burstein and Arthur garnered all-tournament honors for the Gamecocks.

SCANNELLA SCORES FIRST GOAL OF THE YEAR
Junior midfielder Jeff Scannella scored his first goal of the season in last Friday’s 3-0 victory against Lehigh. Scannella led Carolina with seven goals last year, including two game winners. Scannella is one of two captains for the Gamecocks this fall.

LOWDER MAKES HIS MARK
Junior forward Bryan Lowder tallied his first point as a Gamecock in last Friday’s victory against Lehigh, assisting on classmate Jeff Scannella’s goal in the 83rd minute of play to cap the Carolina shutout victory. Lowder contributed seven shots last year in his first season with the Garnet and Black.

NATIONAL & LEAGUE HONORS
South Carolina striker Sam Arthur was honored nationally as the TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Week, while goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by both institutions on Sept. 16. The duo led Carolina to the 2008 adidas Gamecock Classic title, as Arthur tallied two goals against both Lehigh and Jacksonville, earning tournament Offensive MVP honors. Maurer was just as impressive, collecting two shutout victories in net to earn All-Tournament Team accolades.