Gamecocks Host No. 2 UCF Sunday
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team hosts its second straight top-10 opponent, when the Gamecocks take on No. 2 UCF Sunday at 6 p.m. The match will be part of a doubleheader with the women’s team.
#WEareCarolina
Gamecock Athletics and the University of South Carolina Department of Student Life have partnered to throw a Block Party at Campus Village around the doubleheader. The Block Party will take over Campus Village at the corner of Whaley St. and Marion St. Activities will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. before women’s soccer takes on Georgia. After the match, the party will ramp back up prior to the men’s team taking on UCF.
The day will feature tunes from DJ Hagen Williams, inflatables, food trucks, scarf giveaways, and more! The event is free and is open to the public and will include activities for students, alumni and community members of all ages.
Gameday Information – #WEareCarolina
When: October 22 | 6 p.m.
Where: Columbia, S.C.
Venue: Stone Stadium (5,700)
Tickets: gamecocksonline.com
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Broadcast: ESPN+
Series History: South Carolina leads 8-1-4
Last Meeting: UCF 3, South Carolina 2 | Sept 22, 2019 | Orlando, Fla.
South Carolina Gamecocks 4-6-3, 2-2-2 Sun Belt
Coach: Tony Annan | 3rd Season – 14-22-9
Goal Leader: 5 | Adam Luckhurst
Assist Leader: 3 | Mika Habel
Points Leader: 10 | Adam Luckhurst
Shots Leader: 25 | Ethan Dekel Daks
Saves Leader: 47 | Ben Alexander
#2 UCF Knights 8-1-2, 4-1-1 Sun Belt
Coach: Scott Calabrese | 7th Season
Goal Leader: 8 | Lucca Dourado
Assist Leader: 3 | AJ Seals
Points Leader: 17 | Lucca Dourado
Shots Leader: 37 | Lucca Dourado
Saves Leader: 34 | Juanvi Muñoz
Taking the Pitch
- This will be the 14th meeting between the Gamecocks and Knights.
- South Carolina is 4-0-2 all-time in Columbia.
- They last met in the Palmetto State on Sept. 4, 2016, a 2-1 Carolina victory.
- The first meeting took place on Nov. 5, 1979 in Orlando.
- The two sides played every year from 2005 to 2012.
- The Gamecocks have out-scored the Knights 24-10 in the series.
All-Time vs UCF (8-1-4)
| H: 4-0-2 | A: 4-1-1 | N: 0-0-1 | |
| 11/5/1979 | A | W | 1-0 |
| 10/24/1980 | H | W | 5-0 |
| 11/8/1985 | N5 | T | 0-0 |
| 11/6/2005 | A | W | 4-1 |
| 10/21/2006 | H | W | 2-1 |
| 11/4/2007 | A | T | 0-0 (2OT) |
| 11/7/2008 | H | T | 1-1 (2OT) |
| 10/4/2009 | A | W | 3-1 |
| 10/16/2010 | H | T | 1-1 (2OT) |
| 11/1/2011 | A | W | 1-0 (2OT) |
| 10/7/2012 | H | W | 2-1 |
| 9/4/2016 | H | W | 2-1 |
| 9/22/2019 | A | L | 2-3 |
Quick Notes
- South Carolina leads the nation in both cumulative and average attendance (4,434)
- Carolina has hosted three of the top seven highest attended on-campus NCAA men’s soccer home matches this season (#5 – Old Dominion, #6 – Jacksonville, #7 – UNCW).
- They also claim seven of the top 14 spots in highest attended home matches (#10 – Georgia State, #12 – USC Upstate, #13 – Queens, #14 West Virginia), along with their road match at Clemson ranking as #11. No other program has more than one game in the top 14.
- Only Clemson, Creighton and Maryland have two matches in the top-20.
- South Carolina is the only program in the nation to have all of its home matches (7) rank in the top-50 for attendance.
- Jordan Illian scored his first collegiate goal Wednesday in the 72nd minute, tying the match.
- Ethan Dekel Daks’ goal vs Old Dominion with five seconds left was the latest goal in regulation since Tucker Monheimer with one second left vs Jacksonville on 10/23/2019.
- For his efforts, Dekel Daks was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week.
- The Gamecocks held Georgia State to one shot on goal. It was the first time since 2014 (also against GSU), that they’ve held a team to 1 SOG or less.
- South Carolina defeated No. 24 Kentucky for the first time since 2016 and the first time in Lexington since 2012.
- It was their first win over a ranked opponent since 2019.
- Ben Alexander was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week.
- He was the first Gamecock to win a Sun Belt POW award and the first defensive player to earn any POW honor since 2017.
- The Gamecocks tallied four goals in the match against Queens, their first four-goal match since scoring four against Winthrop on Sept. 9, 2022.
- Carolina also earned five assists in the match, the first time they finished with five in a match since Sept. 5, 2006, against Centenary.
- This is the 45th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
- The Gamecocks have an all-time record of 525-284-85.
- South Carolina finished the regular season last year leading the nation in average attendance with 2,839 fans per game.
- The Gamecocks begin their second season in the Sun Belt Conference.
- Carolina was picked to finish fifth in the conference by the coaches.
- Peter Clement and Adam Luckhurst will serve as team captains for the season.
- The roster features 10 newcomers; five transfers and five true freshmen.
- They return eight starters from a season ago, including four starters in the defensive end.
- The team return Adam Luckhurst who led the Gamecocks in every offensive category.
For the latest on men’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockMSoccer, Facebook /GamecockMSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockMSoccer.
Next Up
