South Carolina men’s soccer defeated James Madison 1-0 on the road Sunday evening. Going into the game, the Gamecocks scored 20 goals compared to the Dukes' four.
Both teams were searching for their first win in Sun Belt Conference play, with South Carolina earning a 2-2 draw against Georgia State and JMU falling 1-2 to then-No. 13 West Virginia last week.
The first half was defensive-heavy, with neither team scoring. The Gamecocks only had five shots in the half and held the Dukes to two. South Carolina struggled to avoid penalties, with eight fouls by the end of the first half.
Early shots by sophomore midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez and junior forward Keanan Bader started the Gamecocks' offense within the first 15 minutes.
Sophomore midfielder Manuel Lolas took the first shot for the Dukes in the 37th minute, which was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Filip Versterre.
James Madison opened the second half with two early yellow cards after looking to gain momentum on offense.
The Gamecocks' offense pressured the Dukes' defense in the last 15 minutes of the game. Junior midfielder Mika Habel broke through with the first goal of the game in the 83rd minute, assisted by Bader and senior midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard.
A free kick was awarded to the Dukes with under a minute left in the game, but it was saved by Versterre to shut out the Dukes in the 1-0 victory.
Gamecocks earn first conference win
The 1-0 win helped give the Gamecocks their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season. The late goal by Habel was his third of the season.
The Gamecocks struggled with finishing shots and capitalizing on opportunities in the early games of the season, but this was one of their sharpest performances yet.
JMU was limited to only three shots on the night, and the South Carolina offense was productive, with 14 total shots and eight corner kicks.
Defense looking for consistency
South Carolina has still been looking for more productive combinations on the pitch to maximize efficiency. Offensively, players such as Velazquez-Lopez, senior forward Tyler Trimnal and senior midfielder Ethan Ballek have led the team with consistent scoring.
On the defensive side, more moves have been made both in the starting lineup and mid-game substitutions. Senior defender William Nilsson and junior midfielder Jonah Bigger have both been more consistent starters on the team with double-digit appearances in the season.
Bader, a transfer from UNCG, has continued to earn minutes as the season has progressed. Bader has made five starts and in 11 appearances and scored his first goal as a Gamecock in the draw against Georgia State.
Offense with double-digit shots
The Gamecock offense was key on Sunday night in the 1-0 victory. 14 shots were taken by the Gamecocks in the match, with six alone in the second half and six on goal.
Ballek and Bader both had shots in the second half, looking for the go-ahead goal, but were unable to find the back of the net.
Habel’s lone goal was enough to push the team past JMU and to avoid another shutout for South Carolina.
Despite the loss, JMU's sophomore goalkeeper Erik Jaspers tied his season-high in saves with five on the night. Jaspers had two saves within the last ten minutes of the match before giving up the goal to Habel.
What's next?
South Carolina (7-3-1) hosts UCF (2-4-1) on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.