USC looks to build on midweek win over Charlotte
After a shaky start to the 2011 season, South Carolina will look to build on Tuesday’s win over Charlotte when it travels to New Hampshire this weekend to take part in the Dartmouth Classic.
“I expect them both to be very difficult games, and big challenges for our team,” coach Mark Berson said. “This is all part of our learning, part of our development. As long as we keep improving, which I think it’s very clear that we did from game one to game two to game three. Improvement — that’s what we’re looking for.”
The Gamecocks opened the season with a No. 15 ranking in the preseason National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, but have since fallen out of the top 25. They are slated to face Dartmouth on Friday and Bradley on Sunday, both of whom just missed earning spots in the most recent set of rankings.
In the midst of the early season struggles, Carolina has felt the losses of departed goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and last year’s leading goal scorer Blake Brettschneider, both of whom are now pursuing professional careers. Redshirt sophomore Alex Long has started at keeper in each of the first four matches, posting a 2.00 goals against average and a .571 save percentage. No one has scored more than one goal, but senior Vance Benson leads the team with three points through the first three matches, coming off a one-goal performance against Charlotte.
The Dartmouth Big Green posted a draw and a loss in its first two matchups and have yet to score a goal in 2011. In spite of that, however, Berson said the Gamecocks will need a strong performance to come away with a victory Friday.
“Dartmouth is a very good team,” Berson said. “They’re a team that year in and year out is one of the top teams in the Ivy League. They return a lot of players. They have a lot of weapons, and we’re playing in another road environment.”
Carolina will follow that matchup with a contest against the red-hot Bradley Braves, who opened the season with victories over Butler, IPFW and Eastern Illinois before earning a draw against Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Braves are led by senior forward and Hermann Trophy candidate Bryan Gaul, who enters the weekend with a team-high four goals and 10 points, including four game-winning goals.
“Bradley, you know, [is a] very good team,” Berson said. “Physical, tough, don’t give you anything, hard-working group.”