Freshman forward Peter Clement’s goal in the 82nd minute on Saturday afternoon allowed the South Carolina men’s soccer team to beat Wofford 2-1 at Stone Stadium. Freshman midfielder Spencer Mallion picked up the assist on the game-winning goal.
Clement’s first collegiate career goal came at a convenient time for the Gamecocks. The goal came three minutes after Wofford sophomore forward Brandon Oddy punched in the equalizer in the 79th minute.
Freshman midfielder Lorenzo Nagy scored the first goal of the match during the 57th minute with an assist from junior forward Andrew Halloran. This was also Nagy’s first collegiate career goal.
These freshman performances were a difference-maker in the Gamecock win. Head coach Mark Berson says Saturday’s freshmen successes will “help propel them going forward.”
South Carolina's goals came despite getting outshot 5-3 by the Terriers in the second half.
“It was important for us to bounce back and play well. I think our guys fought hard for 90 minutes,” Berson said. “I think as an overall group, you know, I thought we really put a big effort on the field this afternoon.”
Berson also complemented redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Bilichuk’s performance in the box. Berson said that Bilichuk made “good decisions” and “managed the game really well” throughout Saturday’s match.
The Gamecocks had a tough time getting any offensive momentum going in the first half as the Terriers controlled time of possession. South Carolina also only put up three shots during that span, which came from sophomore forward Brian Banahan.
However, the Gamecocks defense slowed down Wofford's offensive tempo in the first half as the Terriers also put up only three shots.
“It was everybody,” Berson said. “It was a defensive effort by our team, it was an attacking effort, you know. Really proud of the fact that we came back and got the win.”
What’s next?
The Gamecocks will begin their Conference USA schedule next Saturday, March 6 against Marshall University at Stone Stadium. The Herd will be thundering into Columbia with a 3-0-1 record, coming off a win over Bowling Green on Saturday.
The defending C-USA champs will have another match before they take on South Carolina with a match against Akron on Tuesday. The Gamecocks are looking for their first win against Marshall since 2016.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game can be streamed on GamecocksOnline.