Gamecocks Drop Exhibition Match At Duke 2-0
Aug. 13, 2017
DURHAM, N.C. — South Carolina men’s soccer dropped a 2-0 exhibition loss at ACC foe Duke on Sunday night. Midfielder Cameron Mosely scored two goals in the second half to power the Blue Devils to the win. Despite the loss, head coach Mark Berson was pleased with the effort put forth by his new-look Gamecock squad.
“Tonight’s match told us a lot about our team. I really liked what I saw,” said Berson. “A lot of Gamecock players stepped on the field for the first time tonight. Everyone competed really hard. We created a number of dangerous chances in the match that didn’t show up on the score line. We need to capitalize on those opportunities, and of course eliminate the mistakes we made.”
The match was scoreless at halftime after an uneventful first 45 minutes as the teams combined for just three shots. Duke held a 2-1 edge in shots at the break and a 3-0 advantage in corners. Senior goalkeeper William Pyle got the start in the net and tallied one save in the first half.
Junior transfer Ian McGrane subbed in for Pyle at the break. He was unable to stop a free kick by Mosely in the 57th minute, as the Blue Devils went ahead 1-0 early in the second half on the perfectly placed ball. Sophomore Smith Dawsey fired a shot on goal in the 72nd minute but was unable to find the back of the net.
Senior Spencer Meschter and junior Chandler Corley each had solid chances to equalize the score late, but both came up short as Blue Devil keeper Joe Ohaus was able to stop both shots. Mosely scored again in the 86th minute to seal the exhibition victory for Duke.
20 different players saw action for the Gamecocks on Sunday night at Koskinen Stadium. Carolina welcomes 14 newcomers including five transfers this season. The team opened camp on Aug. 9 and rolled right into game action tonight.
“It’s the first scrimmage of the year, and that’s the first time our guys have played anything close to 45 minutes at a stretch,” said Berson. “We have a lot of work to do. In spite of the score line, there were a lot of positives to build on.”
Carolina returns to action Thursday evening at Stone Stadium as it welcomes No. 4 North Carolina to the friendly confines. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The match will be the second of three exhibition matches before the Gamecocks kickoff the season at home vs. USC-Upstate on Aug. 25.
