Men’s Soccer Set for Home Opener Monday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team hosts its home opener Monday (Aug. 24), when the Gamecocks take on USC Upstate at 7 p.m. inside Stone Stadium.

South Carolina Gamecocks 1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Coach: Tony Annan | 6th Season – 34-40-13
Goals Leader: 2 | Loïc Sany Kong
Assists Leader: 1 | Four players
Points Leader: 5 | Loïc Sany Kong
Shots Leader: 3 | Loïc Sany Kong
Saves Leader: 2 | Noah Scheidweiler

USC Upstate Spartans 0-1, 0-0 Big South
Coach: Michael Antoniewicz | 2nd Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 7-3-0
Trend: USC Upstate won 1
Last Meeting: USC Upstate 2, South Carolina 1 | Sept. 29, 2025 | Columbia
Carolina Win Streak: 5, 1980-2021
Upstate Win Streak: 1, three times

TAKING THE PITCH

• This will be the 11th meeting between the Gamecocks and Spartans.
• Every matchup between the two programs has taken place in Columbia.
• The Gamecocks won the first five meetings between 1980 and 2021.
• Carolina earned a 4-0 victory in 2024, despite playing a man-down for the final 70 minutes.
• The Spartans earned the win last season 2-1 on a goal in the 78th minute.
• All-time, the Gamecocks have out-scored Upstate 15-11.

QUICK NOTES

• This is the 49th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
• The Gamecocks lead the nation in attendance for the fourth straight season (3,792).
• Eight of Carolina’s home matches rank in the top-30 for attendance in DI last season.
• The match between Carolina at Clemson was the third highest attended match in D1 (6,536).
• They are the first program to lead the NCAA in attendance four straight seasons since UC Santa Barbara led nine straight years (2007-2015).
• The Gamecocks have an all-time record of 545-301-89
• South Carolina is in its fifth season in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Loïc Sany Kong tallied five points, two goals and an assist, on opening night. It was his first career multi-goal and multi-point game.
• Angel Lopez scored a goal and added an assist in the season opener, the third of his career.
• As a team, the Gamecocks tallied 12 points in the opening win over UNF, the most points in a game since having 13 against USC Upstate on Sept. 10, 2024.
• The Gamecocks have won three-straight season openers.
• It’s the second straight season winning the season opener on the road.
• Carolina is unbeaten in its last five season openers.
• Carolina was picked to finish sixth in the conference by the coaches.
• The roster features many new faces from a season ago with 18 newcomers, nine transfers and nine true freshmen.
• They return four starters from a season ago, including Mika Habel who returned from an injury which forced him to miss most of 2024. Gabriel Nickerson is also back after missing the 2025 season due to injury.
  • In addition to Habel, the Gamecocks return: Isaiah Whittaker-Francis, Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, and Yvan Malarte.
• Also returning is Matthew DeJianne who was named to the Sun Belt All-Freshman Team.
• Joining Carolina is Emil Seedorff, the 2025 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.