That wasn’t the start to the post season the Gamecocks wanted. After ending the regular season second in Conference USA, South Carolina was defeated by Old Dominion, 2-1 despite a late-game rally.
Goalkeeper William Pyle active early on as the Monarchs controlled the first half. He had to make two saves and dove to the ground on many occasions in the first 15 minutes. However, in the 18th minute, the Monarchs broke through. Jimmy Filerman dribbled near the edge of the box toward the goal line and crossed it to Kaio Dasilva, who buried it past Pyle for the defender’s second goal of the season.
The Gamecocks’ struggles didn’t stop there. Again, Filerman dribbled past South Carolina’s defense in the 33rd minute, this time trying to score himself. His shot was deflected by Pyle, but the ball landed to Old Dominion’s Niko Klosterhalfen, who broke through the defense. From there, it was a tap-in for the second goal of the night.
Old Dominion, who was the last team to make it to the Conference USA tournament, ended the half with 10 shots while the Gamecocks had eight. None of the eight had any intent of going in.
The second half was a different story, though.
South Carolina really took control, especially on the offensive end. They came out aggressive and showed that they didn’t travel to Huntington to roll over.
Senior Matt McManis gave the Gamecocks a spark on the offensive end. The 6-foot-4 defender started playing up in the box more, giving crossers something to aim for. In the span of five minutes, McManis had two headers on goal, yet none of them found the net.
He wasn’t the only one trying to find a goal. In the 70th minute, South Carolina had three opportunities to get one back. Senior Danny Deakin and sophomore had both of the chances blocked, and then senior Kurtis Turner missed his shot over the crossbar.
It took until the last minute of play for the Gamecocks to finally net one of their 14 second-half shots. Sophomore Bjorn Gudjonsson controlled a rebound off the post from senior Kevin Walker’s shot and put a goal in the box score. It was a too late, however, as the Gamecocks couldn’t get another one in the final seconds of regulation.
Now the team will have to wait and see what the NCAA Tournament shakes out to be.