With the South Carolina men's soccer team beginning its season with a 3-2 start, junior midfielder Mika Habel has emerged as a key player on and off the field.
Habel enters the season as one of the three captains for the team, alongside sixth-year defender Andrew Goldsworthy and senior midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard. South Carolina head coach Tony Annan said the leadership displayed from the captains has been important this season.
“(Goldworthy and Habel) were here last year. They had a really good year, probably the best year in the program's recent history,” Annan said. “So them leading the way, leading the culture and leading the team is hugely important on and off the field.”
The 2024 South Carolina men’s soccer team went 10-5-2 last season. This marked the first time since 2016 that the Gamecocks recorded a winning record and won double-digit games.
Junior midfielder Jonah Biggar, who was also part of the 2024 squad, credited Habel for his inclusive leadership.
“He makes everybody feel involved, and he shows that he cares for each and every one of us,” Biggar said. “He's not a leader that tears you down, but builds you up.”
While on the field, Habel has been one the Gamecocks’ most consistent scorers in the midfield. He is one of three South Carolina players that has found the back of the net twice this season. Habel also scored a crucial go-ahead goal in the 75th minute during South Carolina’s 3-2 victory over the College of Charleston on Aug. 21 in its season opener.
Habel said the Gamecocks set up its scoring opportunities based on a combination of aggression and strategy.
“We try to attack aggressively, and that includes everyone from every position. So, if there's a chance to get behind the line, you do it,” Habel said . “I try to execute what the coaches taught us, and get the ball in the net.”
Habel said the Gamecocks are not content with its two defeats this year, and its goal is to improve in every practice and every match.
“(It’s) not ideal because we lost two times. But we want to win every game. That’s the goal. That’s the standard here,” Habel said. “We want to improve every game, but most importantly, (we don’t want to) look too far ahead and keep our standard high.”
Despite originally being from Regensburg, Germany, a large city an hour north of Munich, Habel has returned to Columbia, South Carolina for his junior year after spending his entire collegiate career with the Gamecocks. Habel said he has enjoyed life at the University of South Carolina and his time in southern America.
“I love the city. People say I’m a little bit Americanized now because there's not one German teammate here," Habel said. “The people, the culture, the South here in America, and this school of South Carolina; I don’t think it gets much better.”
After missing a bulk of the 2024 season due to multiple groin surgeries, Habel is back on the field for his junior season. He said the injury was a tough time for him, and he is glad to be back out on the field to compete with his team.
“You always want to compete with the team, (and) unfortunately I couldn’t do that because of those injuries,” Habel said. “It means the world to me to be back out with the guys … and most importantly play games and win games.”
When available, Habel has been one of the most reliable assets in the South Carolina program. Since arriving in 2023, Habel has been in the starting lineup 20 times out of his 23 career appearances.
What's next?
South Carolina men’s soccer hosts the Winthrop Eagles at Stone Stadium on Sept. 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.