The South Carolina men's soccer team put together a dominant offensive performance to defeat USC Upstate 4-0 on Tuesday night at Stone Stadium.
With the win, the Gamecocks avenged a 4-0 loss it suffered to the Spartans in 2023.
"Saw a lot of grit, a lot of determination and a ton of spirit," head coach Tony Annan said . "Last year, we went a man down and got beat 4-0. This year, we went a man down and won 4-0, so huge, huge result for the team."
Both teams went back and forth without attempting many shots over the first few minutes of the contest. Senior forward Harrison Myring ended the defensive stalemate with back-to-back goals in the 18th and 20th minutes, giving the Gamecocks an early 2-0 advantage.
But in the 30th minute, junior defender Saint Juste was given a red card after colliding with a Spartans forward. As a result, the Gamecocks were forced to play a man down for the rest of the match.
South Carolina dominated the pace of play in the opening half, attempting nine shots to USC Upstate's two. The Spartans failed to attempt a shot until the 32nd minute of the match.
The Gamecocks quickly regained momentum early in the second half when freshman midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez scored in the 51st minute , making the score 3-0 in favor of the Gamecocks. The goal was the third of Velazquez-Lopez's collegiate career.
South Carolina redshirt junior defender Camden Kowalski scored the final goal of the match at the 71st minute, giving the Gamecocks a commanding 4-0 lead it would hold until the end of the match.
All-around offensive showing
South Carolina controlled the ball throughout the match, keeping USC Upstate's offense quiet over the course of 90 minutes. The Gamecocks outshot the Spartans 11-7, and South Carolina attempted seven corner kicks to the Spartans' two. Both teams recorded three saves in the match.
"I think this one's big," Annan said. "Being down a man for that long in a game and being able to actually still score goals and take away all the chances of the other team. It's a massive achievement for the group."
Myring becomes a consistent performer
Myring's pair of goals in the first half grew his total on the season to five, which currently is the most of any South Carolina player. He scored earlier in the season against Winthrop, North Florida and Clemson. Annan said he hasn't been surprised by Myring's performance as of late.
Myring, a native of Leicester, England, has spent his entire collegiate career with the Gamecocks. He appeared in 13 matches last season, most notably scored a goal in the team's 2-1 win over No. 1 Central Florida on Nov. 5. In 2021, Myring was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
"He did great," Annan said. "He did awesome and very happy for him again to get another two goals."
Gamecocks remain undefeated
After Tuesday's victory over USC Upstate, South Carolina's record moves to 3-0-2. Through five matches last season, the Gamecocks were 1-3-1.In 2023, the Gamecocks finished 6-9-3 overall and 3-4-2 in the Sun Belt Conference, resulting in a sixth-place finish.
Annan said he hopes that his team can build off its win over the Spartans as it moves closer to conference play.
"We've been building all season," Annan said. "Every game we've played, we've learned a little bit and stepped forward a little bit."
What’s next?
South Carolina will continue its season on Sunday against East Tennessee State at Stone Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m., and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.