Gamecocks Downed 2-1 By ODU In C-USA Quarterfinals
Nov. 9, 2016
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — South Carolina (10-7-1 overall) was knocked out of the Conference USA Men’s Soccer Championship Wednesday evening after being upset 2-1 by Old Dominion (6-8-2 overall) in the quarterfinals. The Gamecocks scored late in the match to cut the deficit in half, but were unable to get the equalizer in the final minute.
The Monarchs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half after two transition goals off Carolina turnovers. In the 18th minute, Jimmy Filerman was headed out of bounds on the left side of the box. Before going over the white line, he was able to send a cross back to the right side to a wide open Kaio Dailva. Goalkeeper William Pyle was put in a tough spot and was unable to make the save in the 1-on-1 situation.
In the 33rd minute, Filerman fired a laser shot on goal in which Pyle made a great full extension save. The ball deflected off Pyle to a wide open Niko Klosterhalfen and he was able to put the ball in for the score giving ODU a 2-0 lead. Pyle had three saves in the first half for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina had a number of opportunities in the first half that slipped by the wayside. Seven different Gamecocks had shot attempts, led by sophomore Ben Davidson who logged two. Davidson had one shot blocked and the other missed wide left as he tried to sneak a ball over the head of ODU goalkeeper Alex Tiesenhausen from 22-yards out. Senior Kurtis Turner and senior Danny Deakin each logged shots on goal. Freshman Luca Mayr made a pinpoint pass to senior Matt McManis in front of the net. McManis hit a bullet at the goal that was blocked by a Monarch defender. ODU held a 10-8 advantage in shots at the break, with a 5-2 edge in SOG.
The Gamecocks were relentless offensively the entire second half, outshooting the the Monarchs 14-3 with a 4-1 advantage in SOG.
In the 78th minute, Carolina had a sequence with three consecutive shots around the net. Deakin and sophomore Trygve Ellingstad hit two shots that were blocked, then Turner sent a rebound shot over the goal.
In the 88th minute, Mayr sent a perfect three kick into the box to senior Kevin Walker, who’s diving header missed wide left.
Sophomore Bjorn Gudjonsson got Carolina on the board in the 89th minute. Walker hit a transition shot off the post that Gudjonsson rebounded for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Time would run out on the Gamecocks, as they fell 2-1.
Carolina, who was slotted No. 25 in the latest RPI standings released on Nov. 7, will await it’s NCAA Tournament fate when the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship Selection Show takes place Monday afternoon.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mark Berson on loss: “Credit Old Dominion, they did well. I thought our guys showed a lot of character coming back in getting a goal and climbing back in it. We just ran out of time tonight, and it’s disappointing for our team. We just have to move on from here.”
GAMECHANGER
Klosterhalfen’s goal in the 33rd minute put Carolina in a 2-0 hole that it was unable to climb out of.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks dominated the second half offensively, outshooting the Monarchs 14-3 in the second half, including a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal.
NOTABLE
- Sophomore forwardBjorn Gudjonsson tallied his eighth goal of the season tonight. He’s now leads the team in that category and ranks second in points with 17 (8G, 1A).
- Senior midfielder Danny Deakin led the team with four shots. He and senior defender Matt McManis tied for team lead in shots on goal on the evening with two apiece.
- Junior goalkeeper William Pyle is now 10-5-1 on the year with 60 saves and four shutouts. He posted four saves in tonight’s loss.
- 10 different Gamecocks tallied shots in the match, including six players with multiple shot attempts.
UP NEXT
South Carolina now will wait to find out if it received an at-large NCAA tournament bid. The 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship bracket will be announced at 1 p.m. ET Monday. 48 teams will be selected to compete in the single elimination tournament. Twenty-four conference champions qualify automatically; the balance of the field is selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Committee. The teams will be seeded so that 16 of the 48 teams will receive a First Round bye and automatically advance to the Second Round.
