South Carolina hosts Conference USA foe Kentucky
On Sunday the South Carolina men’s soccer team will face off in a Conference USA matchup at Kentucky.
The Gamecocks, coming off a disappointing overtime loss to Tulsa in Columbia Sunday afternoon, are looking to bounce back and get a much needed conference road win.
Coach Mark Berson believes the circumstances are tough but that his team can overcome the odds stacked against them.
“Our guys know that every game in the conference is a battle,” Berson said. “There are six teams that have a 1-1 record in the conference right now like us. We know that these games are going to be tight. I thought we played well and really took it to Tulsa, but it was a tough loss. We’ve got rebound and get ready to go against Kentucky.”
The No. 23 Golden Hurricane were able to slip by a stout Gamecock defense led by senior J.P. Rafferty to score the last second goal in overtime.
Against Kentucky however the teams are very evenly matched. Both units are very young with some strong leadership from a select few upperclassmen.
Kentucky comes into the game with a 3-6-0 record overall – 1-1 in the conference – while the Gamecocks are 4-5-2 overall. A key road win would give the Gamecocks some momentum as they continue in conference play.
Senior midfielder and defender JP Rafferty thinks it will be a tough matchup going on the road but that the Gamecocks can handle anything thrown their way.
“We match up well with them and our records are pretty similar but it’s always tough on the road,” Rafferty said. “I think our defense has held up well against other team’s attacks. We played well against Tulsa and I think if we keep up the same intensity against our other opponents this can be a great season for us, but this game this weekend is crucial.”
Injuries are one factor however that could put South Carolina at a disadvantage.
“13 of the 28 guys on the roster were on the injury report last week, so we’ve got a number of guys coming off of injuries,” Berson said. “So hopefully if we can get some of those guys healthy and ready to go this will be a good matchup for us.”