Gamecocks Set To Open 2019 Season On the Road
Carolina kicks off at 7:00 p.m. against Clemson
WATCH
LIVE STATS
MATCH NOTES
TICKETS (Clemson match)
COLUMBIA, S.C. —- South Carolina men’s soccer opens its 2019 season Friday night on the road against Clemson. The match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
The Gamecocks will depend on veteran leadership with the likes of senior Luca Mayr, who has led the team in points the past two seasons, as well as juniors Kyle Gurrieri and Mitchell Myers. However, head coach Mark 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. 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 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.”
Berson enters his 42nd season as head coach for Carolina. He’s been the only coach for the program since its first season in 1978. He is the active wins leader in NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer with 507 career victories and is one of just four coaches all-time to hit the 500-win plateau.
South Carolina opened its preseason with 2-2 tie at No. 10 Duke in Durham and followed it with a 7-1 win at home over Wofford. Despite dropping its exhibition finale on the road, Berson is confident in the 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.”
CLEMSON MATCH NOTES
- Clemson leads the all-time series 29-17-1 and has taken the past five matches.
- 47 percent of Carolina’s wins in the series have come on the road.
- The Gamecocks are 4-3 all-time when facing Clemson in the season opener.
- Friday night will mark South Carolina men’s soccer’s first appearance on the new ACC Network.
- Carolina’s last win on the road in the series came in 2009 with a 1-0 victory.
CLEMSON SCOUT
- Clemson was picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Division as it received 36 votes.
- This will be the 10th year for head coach Mike Noonan.
- The Tigers return their entire offensive core as all but three goals and five assist return.
- Clemson welcomes eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, to the roster.
SEASON TICKETS
- Once again, fans can get the best deal in town for season tickets. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for youth and get you into ALL 20 soccer matches at Stone Stadium this fall. To purchase, visit gamecocksonline.com/soccertix.
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