Sept. 29, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Gamecock men’s soccer team (4-3-1) suffered a 1-0 loss to No. 24 NC State (5-2-1) on Tuesday in non-conference action at the Dail Soccer Stadium in Raleigh. Junior forward Blake Brettschneider led the Carolina attack with two shots on goal in the contest.
NC State held a 10-5 upperhand in shots in the match, but Carolina held a 4-3 advantage in shots on frame. Brettschneider led the Gamecocks with two shots, while senior midfielder Jeff Scannella, junior forward Mike Lindsay and sophomore midfielder Vance Benson each contributed one. Ronnie Bouemboue and Chris Zuerner led the Wolfpack offense with three shots in the match. Bouemboue tallied the winning goal in the 45th minute for NC State.
Defensively South Carolina goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer collected two saves, while allowing one goal. Wolfpack goalkeeper Christopher Widman tallied four saves in the victory. The Gamecocks committed 19 fouls to NC State’s 14, while both teams were called for one offsides penalty in the match.
Both teams struggled to find offensive momentum in the opening half of play, as a combined 11 fouls were called in the first 15 minutes of action. South Carolina’s best chance of the half came on a shot by Brettschneider that Widman saved in the 34th minute. Maurer collected his first save of the match on a Zuerner shot in the 42nd minute, but NC State continued to press the Carolina defense in the final minutes of the half, as Bouemboue scored the eventual game winner on a double-assist from Korede Aiyegbusi and Alan Sanchez in the 45th minute for the 1-0 upperhand.
Scannella, Benson, Brettschneider and Lindsay each tallied a shot in the second half, but South Carolina was unable to capitalize, as Widman collected three saves in the final 45 minutes of play and NC State closed the 1-0 victory.
South Carolina begins Conference USA play when it travels to face Central Florida on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Orlando.
