The men's soccer team's undefeated home record is still alive after a 3-1 victory Saturday against conference foes Old Dominion.
The Monarchs tied 1-1 in double overtime in an away game against USF before taking on the Gamecocks.
South Carolina entered the game after winning 2-0 against FIU the Tuesday before Saturday's match. The two goals came from junior Danny Deakin in the first half and senior Kevin Walker in the second.
The Gamecocks were quick to enter the game when redshirt senior Asa Kryst hit the back of the net to score in the 89th second. Junior Koty Millard was credited with the assist as the first goal of the game managed to get past the Monarch's goal defender.
Old Dominion responded in the fourth minute with a header from a free kick from Tyler Edwards. The goal tied up the score 1-1 entering in the second 45-minute half.
Senior Gamecock Jeffrey Torda set the mood for the rest of the game as he scored his fifth goal of the year in the 67th minute of play with the assist from freshman Bjorn Gudjonsson.
The Gamecocks continued to bring the offensive pressure throughout the game, but it was Deakin who was able to finish as he soared the ball past Old Dominion’s goalkeeper on a penalty kick in the 88th minute of play. This gave Deakin his 10th goal of the season and the final goal of the game with a score of 3-1.
This win only added to head coach Mark Berson's record as one of the four NCAA Division I's active wins leader, now with 451 wins at one institution. The win against Old Dominion gave the Gamecocks an advantage over the series history 2-1 at Stone Stadium.
"It's a big win. Old Dominion is a very good team. This is the time of year that you want to be playing your best, and we played our most complete game. We've been waiting to put together 90 minutes all year, and tonight we did in really, really fine fashion," Berson said. "I'm really proud of the guys. I thought they played very well. To win tonight and play as well as we did in a very well-balanced approach is very gratifying."
South Carolina led in total shots taken over Old Dominion, 18-12. South Carolina is now 9-6-1 and is one of the top 3 seeds in the Conference USA Tournament. The Gamecocks are one step closer to finishing their regular season games before they host Coastal Carolina next Saturday. Conference play will start on Nov. 11 in Charlotte.
The Gamecocks are one match away from completing an undefeated run at home.