Two goals scored nearly four minutes apart gave South Carolina a 2-1 edge in overtime Tuesday against Georgia State, boosting the Gamecocks to a winning record.
South Carolina (5-4, 0-1) received goals from senior Jeff Addai and sophomore Hamilton Carlin while outshooting the Panthers 16-13. Both Gamecock goals were the first career goals scored by each respective player.
“It feels really good to help out my teammates,” Addai said. “We dug really deep to win this game. We were just giving it maximum effort, and I’m really happy to be able to contribute to that.”
The Gamecocks conceded their first goal to Georgia State (4-4) in the 62nd minute off the foot of sophomore Aaron Jones. The goal came off a free kick that sailed above keeper Robert Beebe, sneaking into the upper left hand of the net. It was the only shot on goal the Panthers would be able to muster all match.
South Carolina scored its equalizer with less than two minutes remaining in regulation off a deflection from redshirt freshman Mikkel Knudsen. The ball ricocheted off the right post, rolling perfectly to Carlin who snuck it past a diving C.J. Cochran to send the game into extra time.
Three minutes into overtime, South Carolina scored its golden goal off a corner from sophomore Eli Dent.
Addai positioned himself perfectly to stick a header into the back of the net, and ultimately send the Gamecocks home victorious.
“Eli took the corner kick,” Addai said, “And he bent it in there perfectly. I was sort of unmarked, so I was able to get a clean head on it.”
The win is head coach Mark Berson’s 467th victory of his career, moving him ahead of former SMU head coach Schellas Hyndman for sixth place for NCAA Division I wins.
“I don’t think it was a thing of beauty because we were really struggling out there tonight,” Berson said about the win. “But it was certainly a gut check, and I’m proud of them. We’ve had that resiliency. We came back in overtime against Clemson and came back in overtime tonight. Hopefully that becomes part of the fabric of who we are.”
Through nine games this season, South Carolina has forced overtime five times, winning three of those matches. Overtime matches are nothing new to the Gamecocks this season, as the team played beyond regulation eight times last season, too. They lost just two of those matches.
For Addai and Carlin, their goals come at the end of a long road to recovery. Before last year even began, Addai tore his ACL, forcing him to miss the entirety of the season. Carlin, however, was able to make a handful of appearances, but was bothered by a leg injury throughout the year. His only shot in 2013 came on goal, but was in the opener against East Tennessee State.
Beebe returned between the posts for the Gamecocks in the win, but did not record a save in the decision. It was his first match since Sept. 10, 2013 against Coastal Carolina.
The Gamecocks will wrap up their four-game home stand Saturday at 7 p.m. in the team’s second conference game of the season against Charlotte (7-1, 1-0). South Carolina bested the 49ers 2-1 last year when the two teams meet in Charlotte, North Carolina.