Gamecocks look to rebound from tough loss
Only two games into the season, the South Carolina men’s soccer team has already seen its fair share of ups and downs. After claiming victory in their season opener, the Gamecocks suffered an excruciating double-overtime loss to the arch-rival Clemson Tigers in the second match of the year. But despite the emotional roller coaster that the 2013 season has been thus far, coach Mark Berson is confident his team will not be limping into Friday’s contest against High Point.
“I think that we learned a lot. I think that the guys’ attitude was really good,” Berson said. “I don’t think there’s any confidence issue at all.”
Friday’s matchup with the Panthers will come only days after South Carolina (1-1-0) lost to Clemson 2-1 on a sudden death goal in the game’s second overtime. Junior defender Mahamoudou Kaba recorded the only shot out of South Carolina’s 10 total attempts that found the back of the net.
The issue with converting goal-scoring opportunities is one that Berson has been trying to iron out with his young team from the onset of the season.
“We certainly recognize that when we create chances against a good team we’ve got to put them away,” Berson said. “We didn’t finish the chances that we made.”
Through the first two matches, the Gamecocks have scored two goals on 19 combined shots for a conversion rate of just more than 10 percent.
On the defensive side, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Robert Beebe has impressed in his first season as the regular starter in goal. Beebe earned a clean sheet in South Carolina’s first contest against ETSU and recorded five saves in the losing effort against the Tigers.
“I’m not a big numbers guy as far as shutouts go,” Beebe said. “But for me, all those stats are a reflection on my back four, and then even more than that the whole team.”
Beebe has taken over for two-year starting goalie Alex Long, but his coach said that after two games he looks up to be up to the task.
The Panthers have lost their first two games of the season, most recently finding themselves on the wrong end of a 5-1 blowout loss to UAB in the VCU Rams Classic in Richmond, Va.
The Panthers did, however, have a banner year in 2012, finishing with a 12-5-3 record complete with an undefeated mark at home.
Heading into Friday’s contest, Berson is employing a stay-the-course strategy and will not be changing his game plan after Monday’s loss.
“I think it’s just a case of execution,” Berson said. “We need to be quicker, we need to be sharper, we need to be able to make sure that we cash in on our opportunities.”
Beebe said the morale in the South Carolina locker room is where it should be, and while the keeper admits the defeat at Clemson was a “tough pill to swallow,” he said his team has chosen not to dwell on the loss and shifted its focus to the next opponent.
“Everyone’s kind of moved on and we’re excited to get back into training and get ready for Friday night,” Beebe said. “Because that’s really what it’s all about.”