A season-high eight-save performance from South Carolina sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Bilichuk only helped Gamecock men's soccer so much Saturday, as it fell 2-0 to Charlotte at Stone Stadium.
Belichuk was put under a lot of pressure by the 49er offense, with 16 shots from nine different 49ers. A couple shots slipped through the cracks in Charlotte's favor thanks to a deflected own goal by the Gamecocks in the third minute and a goal from Preston Popp in the 76th minute.
However, Bilichuk's performance kept his team in the match in key moments, including a penalty kick save in the 30th minute.
"The way [Bilichuk] controlled the tempo for us in the back was a big point," head coach Mark Berson said. "Ryan was outstanding on the day. Again, the scoreline doesn't always reflect the way, maybe, the goalkeeper played, and I think Ryan was really, really good today for us."
South Carolina also had a handful of opportunities throughout the match with 10 shots, three of which were on goal. The Gamecocks had a pair of strong scoring chances in the 64th and 67th minute from freshman midfielder Spencer Mallion and freshman defender Christain Kraus, respectively.
Mallion had a nice look at the Charlotte goal, but his shot missed wide left, and Kraus’ shot bounced off the crossbar to keep the 49ers in the lead.
Freshman forward Peter Clement also provided pressure early on in the match with three shots in a span of eight minutes after Charlotte’s first goal.
"We had some really good opportunities to equalize at key points in the game, but we didn't get it," Berson said. "We've got to score. When we get opportunities, we've got to score."
Despite the South Carolina defense holding off any 49er shots for 17 minutes after the third-minute goal, Clement and the Gamecocks couldn't get one past Charlotte goalkeeper Austin Mullins.
The loss moves South Carolina to a 5-4-1 record with a 0-2-1 record in conference play.
What’s next?
The Gamecocks will be back on the road next Saturday, when they take on Florida Atlantic. The Owls are coming off a 3-1 loss to No. 10 Kentucky on March 13 and will face Old Dominion March 21 before taking on South Carolina.
The Owls are led by preseason All-C-USA pick Ivan Mykhailenko, who has three goals on the season. The Gamecocks won the last meeting between the two schools in 2019 with a 2-1 victory over Florida Atlantic.
Kickoff is set for noon and can be streamed on CUSA.tv.