COLUMBIA, S.C. – With conditions perfect at 65 degrees on Tuesday evening at Stone Stadium, South Carolina (4-3-0) came back to take a 2-1 win from UNC Greensboro (0-7-1), giving Gamecock head coach Mark Berson his 466th win to tie him for sixth in the NCAA Division I record books.
Sophomore defender Ive Burnett knotted the match at 1-1 in the 68th minute with a blast from the 18 after UNC Greensboro attempted to clear a Gamecock corner kick. Burnett’s shot ricocheted off a Spartan defender past the goalkeeper for the neutralizer.
Seven minutes later, junior midfielder Ryan Arambula headed home another failed UNC Greensboro clearance try for the Gamecocks’ game-winner. This came after South Carolina’s Hamilton Carlin twice had chances for the winner go off the crossbar.
In the first half, the Spartans made a breakaway chance count in the 22nd minute, as Dustin Gamradt played a ball to the streaking Austin Miller, who worked past a Gamecock defender and the goalkeeper before slotting in the goal to give UNCG a 1-0 lead.
In the 33rd minute, South Carolina sophomore midfielder Koty Millard sent a cross from the right side after a great run, but it came in behind the two Gamecock forwards. Ten minutes later, the Gamecocks recorded their first shot on goal when sophomore defender Ive Burnett fired a hard, low shot from the close left wing that Spartan goalkeeper William Pyle smothered for the save.
Berson ties former SMU head coach Schellas Hyndman for sixth on the NCAA Division I wins list and 17th on the all-divisions rankings. In his 37th year at South Carolina, Berson has compiled the most NCAA Division I wins of any active coach.
Game Changer:
Things changed in the second half, as the Gamecocks became more aggressive heading to goal. Eli Dent and Mikkel Knudsen’s pair of rapid-fire chances in the 56th and 59th minutes, respectively, marked this best.
Key Stat:
The Gamecocks took 26 shots in the match, including 18 in the second half that included 11 inside the 18-yard box in front of the goal mouth.
Notables:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The Gamecocks also had an advantage in corner kicks, 8-1, all coming in the second half.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->UNC Greensboro goalkeeper William Pyle posted seven saves on the night, while Gamecock sophomore Marco Velez had four.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Spartan forward Dustin Gamradt tallied an assist, giving him a hand in all three goals from the field this season for UNCG.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Two South Carolina student-athletes, sophomores Burnett and Kurtis Turner, took yellow cards on the night.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->The Gamecocks snapped a three-game losing streak.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Sophomore midfielder Koty Millard had six shots, while junior midfielder Jeffrey Torda tallied five.
Quotable:
South Carolina Head Coach Mark Berson
I was really proud of the fact that we came from behind. The goal was inattentive on our part. Up until that point, we had a lot of the ball and created some pretty good chances. At halftime, we stepped up the speed, we stepped up the intensity, we stepped up the attacking pace. That was a really important factor in the game.
Up Next:
The Gamecocks host their Conference USA opener on Friday night when Marshall comes to town. Start time is tentatively scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT, with the actual start time pending the end of the Gamecock women’s soccer match against Missouri at Stone Stadium.
