Aug. 17, 2012

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Gamecock men’s soccer team is set to host Elon on Saturday, Aug. 18, in the final exhibition tuneup of the season prior to next week’s official 2012 opener. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium tomorrow, admission is free, and and FREE live audio for the event will be available via GamecocksOnline.com.

South Carolina opened up exhibition play for 2012 with a 6-3 victory over visiting Georgia State on Tuesday. Junior midfielder J.P. Rafferty and sophomore midfielder Braeden Troyer both tallied two goals for Carolina in the match, while sophomore striker Snoopy Davidson and redshirt-freshman midfielder Ryan Freiburger also contributed a goal in the win. Eight different Gamecocks registered assists, including two from sophomore Sam Mahmood. Returning starting goalkeeper Alex Long played a flawless 45 minutes in goal.

Elon returns to Columbia for an exhibition match for the second-straight season. Last year’s tuneup ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation, with the teams not playing overtime due to the match being an exhibition. The Phoenix is led by head coach Darren Powell in his eighth season. The team earned a perfect 5-0 shutout over UNC Asheville in an exhibition earlier this week on its home field. All five goals were scored in the second half, with two tallies from senior forward Jordan Smith. Elon was picked to finish fourth in the recent Southern Conference Preseason Poll.

Season tickets for men’s soccer, which includes admission to all home games, are currently on sale in the Gamecock Ticket Office. Fans can purchase tickets online at GamecocksOnline.com, or by calling 1-800-4SC-FANS. Cost for season tickets for men’s soccer is $25 for adults and $10 for youth (17 and under).