The Gamecocks earned their first win of the season with a comeback victory over USC Upstate on Tuesday night at Stone Stadium.
After being down a goal and losing a man to a red card in the 69th minute, the Gamecocks pieced together a gritty performance with 30 minutes left in the match.
“I think it galvanized them and we found our grit, our grind and our Gamecock pride,” South Carolina head coach Tony Annan after the match. “At a really pivotal time of the season to be able to be a goal down, have ten men and come back and score two and create another probably five or six (opportunities).”
Despite the match being scoreless in the first half, the Gamecocks outshot the Spartans 9-2.
In the 46th minute, Upstate’s Braiden Hall struck a ball to the bottom right corner of the Gamecocks' net to put the Spartans on the scoreboard first.
“I felt like we were a little sleepy on their goal," Annan said. "I didn’t think we did very well defending it. I didn’t think it was a particularly great strike and I thought it was a saveable shot, but you know, again, it’s a team sport and we all rallied around our goalkeeper.”
In the 69th minute, senior midfielder Lauritis Lillemose, having already collected a yellow card in the first half, collected a red for unsporting behavior, leaving the Gamecocks with 10 men on the pitch.
Momentum suddenly shifted in favor of South Carolina when senior forward Logan Frost scored in the 72nd minute, assisted by freshman defender Junior Saint Juste.
“I think I could have put a little more power on it," Frost said. "But I mean, a goal’s a goal.”
After the goal, the Gamecocks tried a few different tactics in order to find the game-winner.
“We changed our formation, we pressed them higher at the poke and didn’t give them any space, and we managed to create some turnovers and be very direct in go-to-go,” Annan said. “We probably could have been 2-1 ahead before we got a man sent off with the chances we created, but that’s football.”
In the 86th minute, Frost found the ball again in a nearly identical spot. He took a player on one-versus-one and snuck a near post shot just past Upstate's goalkeeper, earning him his second goal of the night.
“Logan’s been a pivotal part of this team for the last, almost three years,” Annan said. “He’s come on leaps and bounds, his ability to attack and score goals. He did it last season at UAB, he’s done it again tonight with two and he’s just a kid that’s improving all the time, and his attitude's unreal, his work ethic's unreal. So yeah, I’m so happy for him.”
With the win, South Carolina improves to 1-2-1 on the season and will face Winthrop at home Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.