Sept. 3, 2010
| Highlights |
| Coach Berson |
| Jimmy Maurer |
| Blake Brettschneider |
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A record crowd of 6,157 fans came to Stone Stadium for a nationally-televised men’s soccer rivalry battle between South Carolina and Clemson, and the home crowd was treated to a perfect display as the Gamecocks shutout Clemson 2-0.
Blake Brettschneider and Will Traynor scored second half goals for South Carolina (1-0-0) to lead the team to its fourth-consecutive season opening victory. The win also gives the South Carolina seniors a perfect 4-0-0 record against Clemson (0-1-0), with all four victories coming by virtue of a clean sheet.
South Carolina posted 11 shots in the match against just five by the Tigers. The match proved physical on both ends, with the Gamecocks holding a 19-14 upperhand in fouls in the match, while Clemson drew three yellow cards against just two by Carolina.
Brettschneider and junior midfielder Stephen Morrissey led the Gamecock attack with three shots each. Brettschneider had two shots on frame, while Traynor and senior forward Mike Lindsay also tallied one shot on goal in the match. Five different Clemson players posted one shot in the match, including Austin Savage, Nick Burton, Eric Cava, Stephen McGill and K.C. Onyeador.
Jimmy Maurer played all 90 minutes in goal for South Carolina, but the Gamecock backline of Mark Wiltse, Mike Mangotic, Eric Martinez and Will Traynor completely shutdown the Clemson attack in holding the Tigers without a single shot on goal in the match. Clemson goalkeeper Cody Mizell played the entire match in net for the Tigers, collecting two saves.
Brettschneider scored the game-winner just 40 seconds after halftime with a breakaway from the right side courtesy of a beautiful thru-ball by Wiltse. Traynor added the insurance goal at 65:59 with a header following volleys by Brettschneider and Martinez.
The game winner for Brettshneider marked his second over the Tigers in his four-year Gamecock career. He also tallied the game winner in double-overtime as a freshman in Clemson at Riggs Field during the 2007 campaign. South Carolina’s four-straight wins over the Tigers marks the second-longest winning streak over Clemson in Gamecock history.
South Carolina returns to action next Friday, Sept. 10, when Coach Mark Berson takes his team to the Brown Tournament in Providence, R.I.
