Gamecock Notes And Trends Following Fall Finale

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- South Carolina men’s soccer closed the fall campaign this past Friday with a 5-0 victory over Belmont Abbey College at Stone Stadium. With seven freshmen in the starting lineup and the most goals scored in a match since 2018, there were plenty of notes and first-time accomplishments to take away from the match.
 
Although the Crusaders are an NCAA Division II program, the match will count toward win-loss records and stats will count toward season and career marks, as well. This was South Carolina’s first match against a non-Division I foe since it faced a D-II opponent in 1998 when it opened the year with an 8-0 win over Coker College.
 
NOTES:

• Carolina started seven true freshmen (Justin Kopay, Sekou Soumah, Christian Kraus, Athan Cosse, Jordan Matthews, Spencer Mallion and Andrew Rosenbaum). It’s the most freshman in the starting lineup this season.
• Sophomore Mark Roby, junior Andrew Halloran, as well as Kraus, Cosse, Matthews, Mallion and Rosenbaum made their first start of the season. For the five freshmen listed (Kraus, Cosse, Matthews, Mallion and Rosenbaum), it was their first career start.
• Ryan Bilichuk earned the win between the posts. It was his second start of the year and first win. It also marked his first shutout in a match having played the full 90 minutes.
• Three freshmen scored goals in the match (Kraus, Cosse and Mallion). For Mallion and Cosse it was their first-career goal while Kraus finished the fall with goals in the final two contests played.
• The Gamecocks closed the fall outscoring their foes 9-6, including a 5-2 advantage in the second half of matches.
• 1,126 fans (282 average) attended matches this fall.
• This marks the second-straight year Carolina has opened a season 3-2 through the first five matches.
• The nine goals through the first five matches of a season are the most since scoring nine through the first five matches of the 2015 season. Carolina finished that year 11-8-2 (.571) on its way to the NCAA Tournament.
• Carolina did not go past the 90-minute mark through its first five matches. This marked the first time since 2006 the Gamecocks did not have an overtime match through the first five contests of a season.
• South Carolina had three shutouts through the first five matches. That’s the most since three through the first five in 2010.

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