Gamecocks beat rival with lone goal from Eric Martinez 
Throughout the first 64 minutes of Tuesday night’s game with the Clemson Tigers, South Carolina was missing opportunity after opportunity. USC had a 6-2 shot advantage in the first half, yet had nothing to show for it. In addition, Clemson goalkeeper Cody Mizell had already racked up four saves.
However, in the 65th minute, a corner kick by USC freshman midfielder Ryan Arambula allowed junior Eric Martinez to nail a header in at the far post.
One goal would be all the Gamecocks needed as they shut out Clemson 1-0 for the fifth time in six years, avenging a 2-0 loss at Clemson last season.
“Arambula is really coming on,” said USC head coach Mark Berson. “He’s a freshman and is doing really well, as are a number of our young players. That was a great corner.”
Berson said his team hung tough despite several missed opportunities. The biggest one came in the 27th minute when sophomore forward Snoopy Davidson found himself all alone with just the keeper to beat. However, Mizell came up to corral Davidson’s shot, keeping the game scoreless.
“We kept our composure when we missed some good chances,” Berson said. “We had that breakaway that we missed, we had another (one) that we missed, had three or four that we didn’t capitalize on. Sometimes those come back to haunt you, but Eric Martinez made sure that didn’t happen tonight with that header. Very solid, exclamation type of goal; I was proud of that.”
The goal capped off a night where the Gamecocks (3-3-1) stayed aggressive all evening, finishing with 12 shots.
For the most part, USC was able to hold the Tigers to limited scoring opportunities. Clemson’s best shot at a goal came on a free kick by midfielder Preston Gayton in the eighth minute. From 25 yards out, Gayton hit a shot on goal that USC keeper Alex Long knocked away with one hand while diving to his right.
The save was one of three made on the night by Long, who recorded his fourth shutout of the season against a Clemson (1-5-2) team that has scored just two goals in eight games.
“Great save,” Berson said. “That’s what you need. You need your goalkeeper to come through and make big saves.”
Berson was particularly proud of the way his defense played and said the team as a whole has been working hard since the 3-2 overtime loss at No. 5 Charlotte.
“I was really proud of our guys,” Berson said. “We worked very hard the last four days, and it was the only time in the schedule where we really had some time where we could work. Our guys went right to work. I thought we were exceptionally tight tonight on defense and really well organized. It’s a rivalry game and there are going to be some mistakes and you want to try and play through those, but I thought our guys were tough.”
The biggest crowd of the season was present for the game, despite a chance that there could be some rain.
“I want to thank our crowd tonight; we had a really good crowd,” Berson said. “Brave souls, there were a lot of umbrellas out, but I really want to thank every one of the Carolina faithful that were out tonight that helped us.”