Pair of Second Half Goals Lead Gamecocks Past Panthers

ATLANTA – Two second half goals earned the South Carolina men’s soccer team (7-2-2, 2-2) three points in the Sun Belt Conference standings Friday night (Oct. 11), as the Gamecocks secured a 2-0 road win at Georgia State (3-6-2, 0-3-1).

The Carolina offense dominated on the night, leading the Panthers 22-to-10 in total shots, 8-to-2 in shots on goal, and 5-to-3 in corner kicks. In goal for the Gamecocks, Filip Versterre finished with two saves, both of which came in the second half.

The Gamecocks nearly took an early lead in the 2nd minute. Harrison Myring had a look at the net, but his shot was knocked away by a GSU defender. Carolina had another opportunity in the first half on Ethan Ballek’s free kick, as it bounced off the Georgia State wall and into the goalkeeper’s hands.

South Carolina broke the scoreless match in the 62nd minute. Following a goal kick, Kieran Karp headed the ball at midfield forward to Myring. He would knock it past the defenders and out-run them to the ball to the left side and scoring inside the far right post. The goal was Myring’s seventh of the season, which is tied for the team lead.

William Nilsson extended the lead in the 83rd minute, when the junior notched his first career goal. Jonah Biggar’s free kick landed perfectly on Nilsson’s chest inside the box. He quickly settled the ball onto his left foot and blasted it home inside the left post.

The Carolina defense was stingy all night, as neither of the GSU shots on goal posed a threat to Versterre.

The Gamecocks continue their road trip when they travel to No. 4 West Virginia Oct. 19 for a 1 p.m. match.

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.