Sep 5, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. –
South Carolina men’s soccer team returns to Stone Stadium Friday to host High Point. The Gamecocks and Panthers are set to kickoff at 7 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Opponent: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 vs. High Point
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Stadium: Stone Stadium
Tickets: Tickets
Promotions: Youth League Night; Camper Reunion Night: $1 admission to all youth wearing team jerseys, $1 Hot Dog Night
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Carolina Quick Hits
South Carolina is in its 36th season of varsity soccer in 2013.
South Carolina head coach Mark Berson is in his 37th season overall and his 36th season as head coach of the Gamecocks. He is assisted by former players Spencer Lewis and Joey Worthen, both in their second season. Tim O’Toole is the volunteer assistant coach.
The Gamecocks will play 11 regular-season contests at Stone Stadium this season, including the annual Gamecock Classic and four Conference USA matches.
The Gamecocks improved to 30-5-1 in season openers with a 1-0 shutout victory over East Tennessee State on Aug. 30. Sophomore midfielder Jeffrey Torda netted the unassisted gamewinner in the 26th minute.
South Carolina came from behind, but ultimately fell to Clemson 2-1 in double overtime on Sept. 2. Junior defender Mahamoudou Kaba scored the first goal of his career on a header off a Ryan Arambula corner kick to level the match in the second half. Clemson tallied the golden goal in the 102nd minute to win.
South Carolina posted two shutouts in exhibition play this season, a 1-0 win over Mercer and a 2-0 win over Elon.
Three different Gamecocks scored during preseason play, junior forward Asa Kryst, sophomore midfielder Jeffrey Torda and senior midfielder J.P. Rafferty.
The Garnet and Black posted 31 shots in the pair of matches, with a decided 23-6 advantage over Mercer. The Gamecocks preferred quality over quantity against Elon, putting seven of their eight shots on frame.
Nine newcomers (seven freshmen and two transfers) join 15 letterwinners and four starters from the 2012 squad.
Junior Braden Troyer was selected to the Preseason All-Conference USA squad earlier this month. Last season, the Columbia, S.C., native earned second-team all-conference honors, was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 4 Team and earned a spot on the C-USA All-Academic Team.
Last season, the Gamecocks finished 5-11-2 (2-5-1 C-USA), a year removed from earning a share of the 2011 Conference USA Regular Season championship after a 6-1-1 conference campaign.
Scouting High Point
In the midst of a four game road swing, High Point has started the season 0-2-0. After earning a 2-0 win over Appalachian State in the preseason, the Panthers dropped their first two regular-season matchups at the VCU Rams Classic in Richmond, Va. In the opener against Old Dominion, HPU surrendered two goals in the final five minutes of play to fall by a score of 3-2. Two days later, UAB was too much for the Panthers as the Blazers won 5-1. Three different players have scored for High Point in the young season – sophomore Erien Campbell, redshirt-freshman Pat Shelton and junior Mamadee Nyepon. Sophomore Austin Yearwood recorded an assist in both matches. Selected third in the Big South preseason poll last month, the Panthers return 10 letterwinners and five starters from a team that won 12 games and earned their first-ever NSCAA National Ranking after going undefeated in their first 11 games of the season (10-0-1). Nyepon led the Panthers in 2012, scoring 29 points (13 goals, 3 assists) and was named a first-team all-conference member last season. Goalkeeper Kody Palmer started every game and was named Big South Freshman of the Year, posting nine shutouts and a 0.92 goals against average.
Series History vs. High Point
South Carolina leads the series 1-0-0. The lone meeting between the programs came in the 2011 Gamecock Classic with South Carolina taking a 2-1 victory in Stone Stadium.
Up Next for the Gamecocks
The Gamecocks’ next three games are all on the road, including two ranked opponents in No. 12/11 Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. and No. 23/17 St. John’s on Friday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. A trip to Piscataway, N.J., to face Rutgers rounds out the road swing. The Gamecocks play the Scarlet Knights on Sunday, Sept. 15, at noon.
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