Gamecocks look to extend winning streak against Golden Hurricane
South Carolina’s men’s soccer team started conference play in exciting fashion, pulling out a 3-2 road victory over Memphis (5-2-1, 0-1-0) Saturday night. It will attempt to keep that momentum intact this weekend when it hosts Tulsa Friday.
Trailing the Tigers 2-0 in the 49th minute, the Gamecocks rallied behind goals from Chipper Root, Bradlee Baladez and Braeden Troyer to escape with their first Conference-USA win of the 2011 season.
“This team has come from behind a number of times this year, and they’re never out of a game,” coach Mark Berson said. “To go on the road and get a conference win against a undefeated opponent is huge.”
It was the second straight win for Carolina (3-4-1, 1-0-0), and a much-needed one as it continues its attempt to bounce back from a 1-4-1 start to the season. Over the course of the slow start, the Gamecocks were outscored 6-12 by their opponents, but have maintained a strong advantage in the past two matches, posting a 5-3 goal differential.
“Obviously we want to improve attacking and defending, which is our focus right now,” Berson said. “Going forward, I think this team has improved both in the Memphis game and in the High Point game. This team is definitely on the right track and that’s what we are going to build on.”
USC hopes the come-from-behind win over Memphis will prove to be a turning point for this season, particularly as it prepares for the second weekend of conference play.
“I think this is a big step for us and is a huge positive for us going into Tulsa this Friday,” Berson said. “This is a tough league and it is a challenge to play on the road at any time.”
Tulsa (4-4-0, 0-0-0) enters the weekend recovering from a 3-0 defeat at the hands of No. 4 Akron. The Gamecocks have managed to find success against the Golden Hurricane recently, compiling two victories in 2010, including a 1-0 win in the C-USA championship game.
“Tulsa is an outstanding team that has played some outstanding opponents early on,” Berson said. “We always play Tulsa tough and this will be another big game in the conference.”