Top Reasons to Get Excited for Men's Soccer in 2019
As he prepares for his 42nd season leading South Carolina men’s soccer, head coach Mark Berson is excited as ever to get his team on the pitch. Berson offers his top reasons to be excited about the Gamecocks in 2019.
YOUNG BUT TALENTED
Like any team, the Gamecocks will depend on veteran leadership, and South Carolina returns the likes of senior Luca Mayr, who has led the team in points the last two seasons. However, Berson has been impressed with a large group of young players, which includes nine freshmen and six sophomores, who have shown they can make an impact.
“We have a very young team,” Berson said. “Fifty percent of the guys on the roster are new. We have a nice blend of youth and some experience. It has been a very steep learning curve in preseason with our guys, and I think they’ve done a really good job. We’re beginning to put together an identity.
Logan Hitzeman
“The youth and the enthusiasm are some of the most exciting things about this group. With that comes inexperience, so we’ll have to weather some storms, but our young freshman class and the group that are sophomores this year are really doing a great job.
“We’ve had 13 practices, so we haven’t had enough time to really work through subtleties, and the things we have to get down. What I have learned is that their effort is good, their attitude is good, their toughness is good, and we need to now put that on stage and see where we can go with it.
“We do have some guys out with injury, so the inexperience will be a challenge for us. With our older guys, it’s a little bit of leadership by committee. I think our senior class has done a great job. They’ve helped the younger guys know what the expectations are, and they’ve done a good job of keeping everybody on track.”
While Berson wants to see improvement in defensive cohesion, he likes the way some of the younger players have stepped up.
“Three of the four guys in the back line are new,” Berson said. “(Junior) Frano Buhovac is sort of the veteran guy, and he’s been in and out with injuries, so that’s going to be an all new group. We have (freshman) Donovan Wu who has done well and has a lot of promise. Mark Roby at center back is another freshman who has done very well. Dylan Bartel at left center back is another freshman who has done well and nailed down a starting spot. That whole backline is new, but I think they will be very good once they get some playing time together.
“In midfield, (freshman) Logan Hitzeman has done very well, and (freshman) Parker League has done very well in preseason. Up front, (freshman) Brian Banahan has scored a lot of goals for us in preseason. (freshman) Logan Frost has scored goals for us up front as well. We’ve got a lot of new guys who have done well. There are some good returning guys as well, but some of them are young, too.”
ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK
South Carolina opened its preseason with 2-2 tie at No. 10 Duke in Durham, followed by a 7-1 win at home over Wofford. Despite dropping its exhibition finale on the road, Berson is confident in his team’s resiliency.
“We went to Duke and were down two goals and came back and scored two,” Berson said. “We came here in our preseason match at home, let a goal in, and came back and scored seven. There’s a little bit of resiliency there, and there’s a little bit of a learning curve. We’re making mistakes and we’re learning to come back and compensate and deal with that.
“I think we’ll be a much different team in September and October than we are now. We just have to grow with it. The young guys have to go out there and play, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes.”
“We’re excited about this team, and we’re excited about how they’re going to grow during the course of the season.”
– Mark Berson
OPENING DAY AT THE RIVAL
South Carolina opens the 2019 season at arch-rival Clemson Friday at 7p.m. While it’s an intense way to introduce his young team to college soccer, Berson loves the rivalry.
Donovan Wu
“I think they’ll enjoy it,” Berson said. “This is why they come here; to play in big games. It’s a special thing. Certainly, it will be a baptism by fire, but that’s OK! We have to learn.
“We played in front of quite a large crowd here in our preseason scrimmage, so they know what big crowds are like. We’ll be on the other side of it Friday night, but that’s one of the exciting things about being at the University of South Carolina – the opportunity to play in big matches. I think our guys will be ready for that.
“I played at North Carolina in the ACC, and there isn’t a rivalry in the ACC that equals the Clemson/South Carolina rivalry. It’s a wonderful experience. It’s a great opportunity. There are two, maybe three, rivalries in the nation that capture that spirit. It’s something our guys come here to be a part of.”
HOME ATMOSPHERE
South Carolina ranked sixth nationally in average home attendance last year, and a sellout crowd welcomed the Gamecocks in their lone home exhibition game last week. Berson said the atmosphere at Stone Stadium makes an impact on his team.
“It’s an amazing experience, especially for your young guys who haven’t seen it before,” Berson said. “These people come and support us in such a great way. Our veteran players understand it. They know what Gamecock fans bring. They know what it means to a part of the South Carolina Athletics family and part of this community.
“Our student-athletes play for their teammates, classmates and themselves, but they play for that crowd, too. Those people drive us! It’s great to be a Gamecock and part of this program, and having that crowd and atmosphere is part of what our guys expect when they choose to become part of this program. It’s really a wonderful thing.
“We’re excited about this team, and we’re excited about how they’re going to grow during the course of the season.”
