The Gamecocks enter postseason play against New Mexico Wednesday night, finishing the regular season third in Conference USA. The two teams met back in September when the Gamecocks’ Jeffrey Torda scored in the 99th minute of overtime to win the game against the then No. 7 Lobos, 2-1.
No. 15 South Carolina ended their season on a high note by staying undefeated at home. On Saturday, they took on No. 11 Coastal Carolina, and freshman Trygve Ellingstad scored the only goal of the game off a rebounded shot from senior Wesley Eads. The rest of the game was stagnant as the two goalies and their defense held tough against a barrage of shots from both sides. The Gamecocks had 24 shots (seven on target) while Coastal shot 20 times with three on target. Midfielder-turned-right back Koty Millard earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors with his play against the Chanticleers. He logged all 90 minutes in the shutout performance.
The Gamecocks’ competition, New Mexico, struggled in the latter half of their schedule. Going 8-5-4 overall, the Lobos tied or lost six of their last eight games. But that is not to say they aren’t a dangerous team. Midfielder Chris Wehan leads Conference USA in shots (58) and has a total of 10 goals and two assists in 2015. Forward Niko Hansen also can turn up the heat on offense. He has only three goals and three assists on the season, but he has shot 50 times with a team-high 19 of those 50 on target. On the defensive side, goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu has made a Conference USA best 72 saves in 17 games.
In the College Cup, the conference champions from 24 conferences hold half of the 48 spots. The other half are invited to the tournament based on season play and postseason performance. Ideally, the Gamecocks would win the Conference USA tournament and automatically qualify, but if they lose, they will have to rely on the selection committee’s opinion of the team to see if they get a bid.
Wednesday’s game is in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 4:30 p.m.