Oct. 7, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team travels to face Conference USA rival No. 25 SMU on Wednesday in Dallas, Texas. Game time is set for 8 p.m. ET. South Carolina brings a 6-3-1 overall record, including a 1-0-0 mark in league action to Wednesday’s matchup, while SMU also holds a 6-3-1 overall record, but has lost two straight C-USA contests for a 0-2-0 record in conference play. SMU holds a slight 5-3-1 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, however in the last three meetings between the two, each team has collected one victory, while the squads tied during the 2006 campaign.

MAURER SETS CONFERENCE USA AWARD RECORD
Goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following a stellar weekend match in net for the Gamecocks. Maurer collected his sixth shutout of the season, a single-season career high for the sophomore, to lead South Carolina to a 2-0 victory over Florida International last Saturday in its 2008 league opener. The award is Maurer’s fourth weekly honor in 2008 and the fifth of his career. The four honors tie for the most C-USA weekly men’s soccer awards in one season.

ARTHUR RANKS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS IN GOALS, POINTS PER GAME
South Carolina sophomore striker Sam Arthur continues a dream season up front for Carolina. Arthur has 10 goals in 10 games this season, while he has also contributed three assists for a total of 23 points, a 2.30 point per game average, which ranks sixth among NCAA Division I competitors. Arthur ranks tied for third with 1.00 goals per game, while his 10 total tallies also rank tied for third in the national statistics.