Oct. 6, 2010
DALLAS, Texas – The 20th-ranked South Carolina men’s soccer team (5-3-1, 1-1-0 C-USA) suffered a 3-1 loss on the road at No. 8 SMU (10-1-0, 2-1-0 C-USA) on Wednesday evening in Conference USA action from Westcott Field in Dallas. Senior forward Blake Brettschneider scored South Carolina’s goal in the match, his team-leading fourth of the season.
SMU held a 16-13 advantage in shots, while both teams managed six shots on goal in the match. Brettschneider and freshman midfielder Bradlee Baladez led South Carolina with four shots, including two on goal, each. Junior midfielder Stephen Morrissey added three shots for the Gamecocks.
Arthur Ivo tallied SMU’s first goal of the match, while midfielder Josue Soto collected the game winner and midfielder Zach Barnes added SMU’s third tally in the 90th minute. Barnes and Robbie Derschang led the Mustangs with three shots, with Derschang posting two on frame.
South Carolina goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer collected three saves in the loss, while SMU netminder Craig Hill tallied five.
Both teams had their offensive chances in the opening half of play, with the Mustangs holding an 8-6 advantage in shot attempts. SMU had the first two offensive chances in the match, before Baladez hit a strike that Hill saved in the 17th minute. After several SMU chances at frame, South Carolina found its offensive rhythm in the final 15 minutes of play, with four shots, including Baladez’s third of the half, and Brettschneider’s goal in the 40th minute.
Brettschneider scored his fourth goal of the season on an assist by Maurer, the second-consecutive contest the duo has connected for a South Carolina goal. Brettschneider tracked down a long punt from Maurer in the Mustang 18-yard box before sending a strike past Hill from 12 yards out for the 1-0 Gamecock advantage, which held through the halftime intermission.
SMU dominated the second half, scoring three unanswered goals to earn the victory. It took the Mustangs just four minutes to even the score on a goal by Ivo in the 49th minute. Osorio assisted on the goal, which was scored from 25 yards out into the upper right corner of the net to knot the score at 1-1. Back and forth play followed, as Hill saved a header by Brettschneider in the 59th minute and Maurer answered with a save minutes later on a shot by Derschang.
Soto gave SMU the 2-1 advantage in the 76th minute on a penalty kick and a tally by Barnes with just seconds remaining gave SMU the 3-1 victory.
South Carolina continues Conference USA play when it travels to face No. 7 Tulsa on Saturday. Live stats will be available via GamecocksOnline.com.
