Gamecocks to face Brown, High Point in weekend tournament
For the Gamecocks, the worst is behind them, and according to coach Mark Berson, it hasn’t been as bad as the record might indicate.
South Carolina (1-3-1) enters this weekend’s Gamecock Classic after playing three of the toughest opponents of the season, which has better equipped the team for facing Brown and High Point on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
“In our last three games — Charlotte, Dartmouth and Bradley — we played our top three opponents of the year,” Berson said. “We came out of that stretch 1-1-1, with two of the three games on the road, and we got better each game. I’m very pleased with the progress of the team and very, very pleased with the way we’ve moved forward with each game. We would’ve liked to have come out of [the weekend] with two wins, but at this point, I think the improvement is very significant.”
The Gamecocks opened the season ranked No. 15 in the country after advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2010, but a young squad packed with freshmen and sophomores struggled early on with playing as a unit. Against Bradley, Berson saw the team play its best all-around game in the 2-2 tie.
Part of the transition from last year to this year has been the uncertainty about positioning. After five regular season contests, Berson is closer to knowing who belongs where.
“We’re really closing in now on the guys that can contribute,” Berson said. “I’m pleased to say that number is significant. Our younger players have stepped up and really contributed. The first goal against Bradley was Trevor Hubbard, who played the ball up to Emmett Lunceford, who crossed it in to J.P. Rafferty, so that was sophomore to freshman to sophomore on the finish. That was an absolutely tremendous goal. A lot of our players now have stepped up and they’ve learned and they’ve contributed. I think it’s going to be very important for this team going forward.”
Though the most challenging part of the schedule might be behind them, the Gamecocks will face a red-hot Brown squad that enters the matchup with a three-game winning streak. USC lost to the Bears in the Brown Soccer Classic last season.
High Point enters the game having lost two straight, but the Gamecocks face the task of shutting down sophomore Alex Martinez, a former teammate of USC senior Vance Benson. Martinez has two goals in consecutive games, leading the team in goals and points.
And while the most challenging part of the season might be in the past, the Gamecocks hope the lessons they learned will continue to follow them for the remainder of the season.
“I don’t think there’s any question that the environment in which we played these games, the tough crowds we played in front of and the travel we’ve had has made this team much better,” Berson said. “We hope that that’s going to pay dividends for us.”