The South Carolina men’s soccer team received its second loss of the season with Friday night's loss against the Kentucky Wildcats, 2-0.
“The team worked very hard, extremely hard, and I was happy with the guys who were in,” head coach Tony Annan said after the game. “We’re 2-nil down off two goals we could have prevented. I think that takes the wind out of your sails a little bit.”
Kentucky drew first blood in the 16th minute, as senior forward Logan Dorsey scored a header to snap a two-game scoreless streak for The Wildcats.
Less than five minutes later, Kentucky found the back of the net again following another set piece from the corner. This time it was junior midfielder Iker Carew who scored his first goal of the season.
But even with the deficit in the locker room, the team remained focused and motivated to try and get back in the game, senior forward Harrison Myring said.
“Everyone in this team (has) been down 2-nil in their careers. Its a score you can always come back from,” Myring said. “We remain positive. We know we’ve got people on the team with enough quality to score goals. We’ve got players who can play balls through to score goals.”
Coming into the second half, South Carolina — after changing the strategy to more of an attacking game plan instead of a defensive — put up eight shots within the first 21 minutes of the half.
But Kentucky finished the game with 11 shots to South Carolina’s 15.
The Gamecocks nearly came up with a goal in the final minute of the match. Junior midfielder Ethan Ballek was awarded a penalty, but his shot was blocked, sealing the shutout win for Kentucky.
Struggles with set pieces
The Gamecocks struggled with set pieces against the Wildcats. While not an issue for most of the season, aside from two penalties against Belmont and Coastal, Annan said his team has been strong at defending against corners and free kicks.
Both of Kentucky’s goals came from corner kicks. And later in the second half, the Wildcats nearly scored on a third corner kick.
It's not just corner kicks that have hurt the South Carolina defense. The team has also given up a penalty kick in each of its games against Belmont and Coastal Carolina — the lone goal given up in each of those games.
Of the last six goals scored on South Carolina's defense since the match against Belmont, four of them have come off of set pieces.
Offense with a off night
For the first time this season, South Carolina couldn't find the back of the net in a game. Before the game, the Gamecocks were statistically one of the best offensive teams in the country, ranking second in goal differential and third in total goals.
"We tried to work hard, but we just didn't get there in the areas we needed to honestly pull of a win,” Myring said. “I don't think it was a issue of how good we were. We just weren't 100% in the areas we needed to be just to find the back of the net."
By the 66th minute, the Gamecocks held a 13-4 shooting advantage over Kentucky, before the team found themselves in a 20-minute stretch without a single shot.
The last time South Carolina went the entire match without scoring a goal was on Nov. 8. 2023, against West Virginia in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Road tests ahead for the Garnet and Black
South Carolina's next two matches will be on the road, against Georgia State and West Virginia
South Carolina played eight of its first nine matches at home, the only road game being against Jacksonville which was postponed after 50 minutes. Next, the Gamecocks will play four of its remaining six games on the road as a part of their Sun Belt Conference schedule.
Myring said he believes the upcoming games will require accountability and mentality from the team to come out on top.
“Going in this week with a week of hard work, eating right, sleeping right, recovering from this game and doing everything we can to prepare better for the next game," Myring said. "Bringing our 100% and even more.”
Whats next?
South Carolina will look to bounce back after Friday's loss on Oct. 11 against Georgia State in Atlanta, Georgia. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN+.