Men’s Soccer Set for Home Opener Friday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – After starting the season with two matches on the road, the South Carolina men’s soccer team returns to Stone Stadium for its home-opener Friday at 7 p.m. against USC Upstate.

Gameday Information – #WEareCarolina
When: August 29 | 7 p.m.
Where: Columbia, S.C.
Venue: Stone Stadium (5,700)
Series History: South Carolina leads 7-2-0
Trend: Carolina won 1
Last Meeting: South Carolina 4, USC Upstate 0 | Sept. 10, 2024 | Columbia
Carolina Win Streak:  5, 1980-2021
USC Upstate Win Streak: 1, twice

South Carolina Gamecocks 1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Coach: Tony Annan | 5th Season – 27-32-11
Goal Leader: 2 | Mika Habel
Assist Leader: 2 | Matthew DeJianne
Points Leader: 4 | Mika Habel
Shots Leader: 4 | Ethan Ballek
Saves Leader: 6 | Filip Versterre

USC Upstate Spartans 0-1-1, 0-0 Big South
Coach: Michael Antoniewicz | 1st Season

Taking the Pitch

• This will be the 10th meeting between the Gamecocks and Spartans.
• All 10 meetings have been played in Columbia.
• The Gamecocks won the first meeting 2-1 back on Sept. 11, 1980.
• Last season, Carolina had to play a man-down for nearly 70 minutes but still won 4-0.
• The two sides have met every season since 2017.
• All-time, the Gamecocks has out-scored the Spartans 14-to-9.

Quick Notes

• This is the 48th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
• Carolina has led the nation in attendance the last three seasons, averaging 4,399 fans per game the last two season.
• Since the NCAA started tracking attendance in 1998, the last two seasons rank 4th and 6th all-time in average attendance.
• They are the first program to lead the NCAA in attendance three straight seasons since UC Santa Barbara led nine straight years (2007-2015.
• The Gamecocks have an all-time record of 538-293-87
• The Gamecocks begin their fourth season in the Sun Belt Conference.
• This marks the first time since 2011 that Carolina has opened the season with back-to-back road matches.
  • 1995 is the only other season in which they played back-to-back road matches to start.
• Mika Habel has scored in back-to-back matches after notching his first career goal against the College of Charleston last Thursday.
• Andrew Goldsworthy also tallied his first career goal in the win over CofC.
  • Freshman Matthew DeJianne has tallied an assist in his first two collegiate matches, both coming on goals by Habel.
• Carolina was picked to finish fifth in the conference by the coaches.
• The squad had three players named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: Ethan Ballek, Alexander Stjernegaard, and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez.
• Ethan Ballek was named to the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch List.
• Alexander Stjernegaard was named to the USC Midfielders to Watch List.
• The roster features many new faces from a season ago with 13 newcomers, nine transfers and four true freshmen.
• They return eight starters from a season ago, in addition to a duo of Mika Habel and Junior Saint Juste who missed most of last season due to injury.

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.