Gamecocks play host to Charlotte on Sunday night

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina (3-6-0, 0-3-0 C-USA) hosts Charlotte (5-2-1, 1-2-0 C-USA) on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET. The Gamecocks are fresh off a 2-1 double overtime victory at No. 19 Virginia Tech on Tuesday.

“Our match on Sunday evening is big,” said head coach Mark Berson. “Both teams are after a conference win. The teams are ranked number two and three in the league in goals against average. Last year’s match was a tie up in Charlotte. These are typically hard-fought, physical contests.  Our team has gained some momentum and is playing with confidence after a double overtime win on the road against a nationally ranked opponent. It should be a good one on Sunday night.” 

It’s Family Appreciation Night at Stone Stadium as all guests (parents/guardians/family) with their Family Weekend badge will receive FREE admission.
 
The 12th-ranked Carolina women’s soccer team takes on Florida earlier in the day at The Graveyard 3 p.m. ET.
 
SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
The 49ers had no midweek game, but are fresh off consecutive shutout wins at home vs. Wofford (2-0, Sept. 25) and UAB (1-0, Sept. 29). Tommy Madden leads the team with eight points (3G, 2A). He also leads the team with 24 shots and 13 shots on goal. Charlotte’s offensive attack has been well-balanced, as 10 different players have found the back of the net. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Elliot Panicco is one of the best in the country, ranking 12th nationally in goals against average (.608) and 15th in save percentage (.833). His five shutouts in eight games are 10th in the nation. Panicco has allowed just five goals all season. The 49ers come into Sunday night’s conference battle with a 1-2-1 record in road games this year. Charlotte has wins in their last two trips to Stone Stadium dating back to 2014.
 
BUZZER BEATER
Junior striker Luca Mayr scored the game-winning goal to knock-off No. 19 Virginia Tech, 2-1, in double overtime on the road in Blacksburg on Oct. 2. Sophomore Mitchell Myers intercepted a pass just inside midfield with time dwindling on the clock and found Mayr on the far sideline. The Steyr, Austria, native laced a shot from 30-yards out on target and found the back of the net far post with 19.4 seconds to go.

FOUR GOALS IN FOUR MINUTES
In South Carolina’s 5-0 shutout win against Wofford (Sept. 19), the Gamecocks scored four times in a 4 minute and 15 second stretch midway through the second half to break the game wide open. All five goals were scored by different players and two were unassisted.
 
It marked the most goals scored in a match by Carolina since a 5-4 win at FIU on Oct. 8, 2014. It’s also the 75th time the Gamecocks have scored five goals or more in the program’s 41 seasons of competition. The 5-0 score marked the widest margin of victory in a shutout since a 5-0 win at home against Gardner-Webb on Oct. 15, 2001.

No. 5 In Home Attendance
Through games played on Oct. 4, the Gamecocks rank fifth in the country in attendance average at 3,292 fans per game. Two of Carolina’s first three games this season currently rank in the top-15 for single-game attendance.
 
The season-opening crowd vs. No. 13 Georgetown (Aug. 24) drew 4,844 fans, the ninth largest crowd in NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer in 2018.  The Gamecocks’ annual rivalry game against Clemson (Aug. 31) drew 4,441 fans, the 13th biggest crowd. South Carolina welcomed 12,937 fans combined for its first three matches of the season (4,312 avg.).

OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
The South Carolina men’s soccer team supported Ovarian Cancer Awareness all month long in September by wearing teal warmup jerseys for their matches. In addition to the teal warm up jerseys, the Gamecock coaching staff and support staff wore teal polo shirts. 
 
The team is promoting awareness for this cancer and encourages women to get regular checkups. Contact your local ovarian cancer support group for more information at 888-682-7426 or visit the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s website at http://www.ovarian.org. Remember, NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE! 

​​​​​UP NEXT
Carolina has no midweek game before heading west to face New Mexico (3-8-0, 1-2-0 C-USA) in conference play. The Gamecocks have a quick turnaround, welcoming in No. 1 Wake Forest (11-0-0, 4-0-0 ACC) to Stone Stadium on Tuesday night for a non-conference midweek battle. It’s Gamecock Club Appreciation Night as all Gamecock Club and Junior Gamecock Club members receive free admission by showing their Gamecock Club membership card or wearing their Junior Gamecock Club t-shirt. Students also get double rewards points for attending the match.