Nov. 22, 2015

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – South Carolina (11-8-2) played a strong match in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, but No. 15 seed UC Santa Barbara (14-6-2) punched home a shot in the first overtime to claim a 1-0 win on Sunday evening at Harder Stadium.

Gamecock sophomore goalkeeper William Pyle made seven stops on the night, including one in the 92nd minute on a header by Ismaila Jobe that brought on a Gaucho corner kick. Jobe would not miss again, however, pushing a shot in at 92:28 to end the match and send UC Santa Barbara onto the round of 16.

South Carolina controlled the run of play for most of the second half, firing off four shots in the period and forcing two saves. The Gauchos responded late with a spurt, but Gamecock sophomore William Pyle collected two more saves to keep UCSB off the scoreboard for regulation. South Carolina’s defense also played a big part in limiting and redirecting the Gauchos’ chances. Pyle stopped four Gaucho shots in the first half.

Game Changer:
UC Santa Barbara came out swinging in overtime, never letting the Gamecocks get a chance after South Carolina held more possession and chances in the second half.

Key Stat:
Pyle’s seven saves kept UCSB off the board until the 93rd minute.

Notables:
• Senior Jeffrey Torda fired three of South Carolina’s five shots in the contest, including both that were on goal.
• Seniors Torda, Ryan Arambula, Asa Kryst, Devin L’Amoreaux and Wesley Eads all saw time in their final match in the Garnet and Black.
• Kevin Feucht led all players with four shots on the night, two coming on goal.

Tweet of the Game:

These guys are showing such determination and passion! Let’s go Gamecocks!!! Keep it up! @GamecockMSoccer #NCAASoccer

— Morgan Lewis (@YellowDoorDiary) November 23, 2015

Quotable:
Head coach Mark Berson
I’m very proud of this team and all that they accomplished this season. They continued to improve, to evolve and to grow throughout the year. The progress that they made from September to this final match was great to be a part of. This team featured some very good young players who grew during the year, but the leadership of the senior class and the veteran players was critical to the success they enjoyed this year. We had some tough stretches, and we challenged the players in a big way in those stretches. They responded and bonded into an excellent team. They accomplished two of our biggest goals, which were to go undefeated at home and to make it to the NCAA Tournament. Similar to last season, they were playing their very best at the end of the year when it mattered most. Our coaching staff – Spencer Lewis, Joey Worthen and Denny Sago – did a great job. This loss hurts, but when the dust settles, the team will have a lot to be proud of this season.