No. 1 Men’s Soccer Hosts James Madison Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The top-ranked South Carolina men’ soccer team returns to the pitch September 27, when the Gamecocks host Sun Belt Conference foe James Madison at 7 p.m. The match is part of a doubleheader with the women’s team, with a separate ticket required for each match. The stadium will be cleared between matches.

#1 South Carolina Gamecocks 7-1, 1-0 Sun Belt
Coach: Tony Annan | 6th Season – 40-41-13
Goals Leader: 4 | Loïc Sany Kong and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez
Assists Leader: 4 | Mika Habel and Angel Lopez
Points Leader: 9 | Angel Lopez and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez
Shots Leader: 21 | Loïc Sany Kong
Saves Leader: 20 | Noah Scheidweiler

James Madison Dukes 3-4-1, 1-0 Sun Belt
Coach: Paul Zazenski | 9th Season
Series History: South Carolina leads 2-0-2
Trend: Carolina win 2
Last Meeting: South Carolina 1, James Madison 0 | Sept. 28, 2025 | Harrisonburg Va.
Carolina Win Streak: 2, 2024-present
JMU Win Streak: None

TAKING THE PITCH

• This will be the 5th meeting all-time between the Gamecocks and Dukes.
• Prior to joining the Sun Belt in 2022, the two sides has never met before,
• The two teams tied the first two meetings in 2022 and 2023, both 1-1 draws.
• All-time in Columbia, the Gamecocks are 1-0-1.
• Last season’s 1-0 win for Carolina was the first shutout in the series.
• All-time, the Gamecocks have outscored the Dukes 6-3.

QUICK NOTES

• This is the 49th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
• The first NCAA RPI was released Monday and the Gamecocks sit at No. 1.
• South Carolina enters the week No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, No. 1 by Top Drawer Soccer, and No. 4 by College Soccer News.
  • They were the unanimous No. 1 in the coaches poll, receiving all eight first place votes.
  • It’s the first time in program history the Gamecocks have been ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll.
  • Their previous high was No. 2 in the final poll of the 1987 season.
• After their win over Old Dominion, the Gamecocks were the only remaining team in DI to be unbeaten and untied.
  • Carolina had its undefeated streak end Tuesday at 7-0.
  • It was the fourth time in program history starting the season 7-0 and the first since 2003.
  • It’s the 13th time in program history starting the season 7-1 or better.
• The Gamecocks have four wins over ranked opponents, the most in the nation.
  • It’s the most since also earning four ranked wins in 2015. They also had four in 1996.
• Loïc Sany Kong had five shots on goal against ODU, the most since Luca Mayr in 2016.
• Carolina once again leads the nation in home attendance averaging 4,657.
• Carolina’s home opener saw 5,489 fans pack Stone Stadium, the 10th largest crowd in program history.
• The Gamecocks topped that with the largest attended match in program history August 28 against Clemson, 7,671, smashing the previous mark of 6,892.
• Three home matches rank in the top-7 highest attended games in DI this year.
• Mika Habel was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15.
• The Gamecocks win over #16 Clemson marked their first 3-0 start since 2014.
  • It was their first win over the Tigers also since 2014.
• Through six matches, the Gamecocks rank 13th in the nation in goal differential (12).
  • As a team, they also rank 14th in assists per game, 12th in total assists, 14th in points per game, 16th in total points, 19th in scoring offense and 21st in total goals.
  • Mika Habel and Angel Lopez rank 22nd in total assists (4).
  • Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez and Loïc Sany Kong are tied for 14th in game-winning goals (2).
• Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1 for his play in wins over Clemson and USC Upstate.
• Loïc Sany Kong was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the win over North Florida.
• South Carolina is in its fifth season in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Carolina led the nation in attendance in 2025 for the fourth straight season (3,792).
• 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 551-302-89.