Aug. 16, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina started its 2015 men’s soccer exhibition slate in fine fashion, shutting out Gardner-Webb 3-0 on Sunday evening at Stone Stadium.
The Gamecock midfield controlled the ball for most of the contest, keeping the Bulldogs from taking a shot during the three 30-minute periods. In contrast, the Gamecocks fired 20 shots, four each by junior Kurtis Turner and senior Jeffrey Torda.
Torda assisted on the first Gamecock goal, as his pass from the right wing found the head of freshman Bjorn Gudjonsson inside the six in the 50th minute. Two more goals came in the final 30 minutes, with Turner putting home his own rebound in the 69th and junior Koty Millard poking in a rebound from senior Kevin Walker’s shot in the 74th.
The stands filled for an exhibition for the second-consecutive year, as the returning students came out for the affair. Not a seat was empty at one point, with students also filing in behind the north goal as well.
Game Changer:
South Carolina’s possession time kept Gardner-Webb from getting any build for its offense during the exhibition.
Key Stat:
The Gamecocks outshot the Bulldogs 20-0.
Notables:
• Four Gamecocks made their debuts in starts tonight: senior Kevin Walker, junior Danny Deakin and freshmen Tor Nyboe and Andre Streete.
• Walker’s three shots stood behind Torda and Turner’s four each.
• Three other freshmen, Ben Davidson, Bjorn Gudjonsson and Lee Hogge, as well as sophomore transfer William Pyle also played in significant stretches.
Tweet of the Game:
Great turnout at tonight’s @GamecockMSoccer game! Hope to see you all season long #Gamecocks #HereSC pic.twitter.com/pMX9ABmu1Y
— Gamecock Rewards (@GamecockRewards) August 17, 2015
Quotable:
Head coach Mark Berson
I was in awe of our fan support. It’s no secret. Everybody knows the way Gamecock fans support their teams. What a great turnout. The place was packed.
Up Next:
Another Big South foe in Winthrop comes in Wednesday night for the second exhibition. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium.
