Nov. 11, 2010
Fourth-seeded South Carolina (10-6-2) will face No. 1 seed SMU (15-1) in the semifinal round of the Conference USA Tournament on Friday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis, Tenn. Match time is set for 6 p.m. ET. Carolina advanced to the round after defeating fifth-seeded UAB on Wednesday, 2-1, behind goals by Stephen Morrissey and Blake Brettschneider.
GAME INFORMATION
South Carolina vs. SMU
Date: Friday, November 12, 2010
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Stadium: Mike Rose Soccer Complex
Series: SMU leads 6-5-2
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Gamecocks Overcome Own Goal, Defeat UAB In C-USA Quarterfinals
South Carolina earned a 2-1 win over UAB in the quarterfinal round of the C-USA Tournament on Wednesday. It was the Gamecocks’ second win over the Blazers this season, as Carolina earned a 3-2 win over UAB in the C-USA opener for both schools in early October. In Wednesday’s victory, junior midfielder Stephen Morrissey scored Carolina’s first goal on an assist from senior forward Blake Brettschneider, while Brettschneider followed with the game winner late in the contest to secure the win. South Carolina held a 16-11 upperhand in shots in the contest including a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal. South Carolina goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer collected one save in the match.
Scouting SMU
SMU, ranked No. 5 in this week’s NSCAA Top 25 Poll, earned the C-USA regular season title with a 7-1-0 mark in league action in 2010. The Mustangs, who are 15-1 on the year, enter Friday’s contest after a bye in the quarterinfinal round after earning one of the top two seeds in the tournament. Juan Castillo paces the team with nine goals, while Josue Soto has contributed seven assists. Craig Hill has played the majority of time in net for the Mustangs. He owns a 1.04 goals against average on the year, having collected 56 saves and three shutouts.
Nov. 9 NCAA RPI
South Carolina is ranked No. 19 in this week’s NCAA RPI. The Gamecocks have been ranked in the top 20 for every RPI report this season, topping out at No. 15. SMU, Carolina’s opponent on Friday is ranked No. 5.
Road Victories
South Carolina earned three quality road victories this season, as the Gamecocks collected 1-0 win’s at both Charlotte and Wake Forest, while also earning a 1-0 win over then-No. 5 Tulsa in C-USA action. The Gamecocks also earned a 1-0 win over Yale competing at the Brown Soccer Classic in mid-September, and most recently a 2-1 win over UAB in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament.
