USC Soccer Wins 2-1 Over UNCG

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — With conditions perfect at 65 degrees on Tuesday evening at Stone Stadium, South Carolina (4-3-0) came back to take a 2-1 win from UNC Greensboro (0-7-1), giving Gamecock head coach Mark Berson his 466th win to tie him for sixth in the NCAA Division I record books. Sophomore defender Ive Burnett knotted the match at 1-1 in the 68th minute with a blast from the 18 after UNC Greensboro attempted to clear a Gamecock corner kick. Burnett‘s shot ricocheted off a Spartan defender past the goalkeeper for the neutralizer. Seven minutes later, junior midfielder Ryan Arambula headed home another failed UNC Greensboro clearance try for the Gamecocks‘ game-winner. This came after South Carolina‘s Hamilton Carlin twice had chances for the winner go off the crossbar. In the first half, the Spartans made a breakaway chance count in the 22nd minute, as Dustin Gamradt played a ball to the streaking Austin Miller, who worked past a Gamecock defender and the goalkeeper before slotting in the goal to give UNCG a 1-0 lead. In the 33rd minute, South Carolina sophomore midfielder Koty Millard sent a cross from the right side after a great run, but it came in behind the two Gamecock forwards. Ten minutes later, the Gamecocks recorded their first shot on goal when sophomore defender Ive Burnett fired a hard, low shot from the close left wing that Spartan goalkeeper William Pyle smothered for the save. Berson ties former SMU head coach Schellas Hyndman for sixth on the NCAA Division I wins list and 17th on the all-divisions rankings. In his 37th year at South Carolina, Berson has compiled the most NCAA Division I wins of any active coach. Game Changer: Things changed in the second half, as the Gamecocks became more aggressive heading to goal. Eli Dent and Mikkel Knudsen‘s pair of rapid-fire chances in the 56th and 59th minutes, respectively, marked this best. Key Stat: The Gamecocks took 26 shots in the match, including 18 in the second half that included 11 inside the 18-yard box in front of the goal mouth. Notables: one space· The Gamecocks also had an advantage in corner kicks, 8-1, all coming in the second half. one space· UNC Greensboro goalkeeper William Pyle posted seven saves on the night, while Gamecock sophomore Marco Velez had four. one space· Spartan forward Dustin Gamradt tallied an assist, giving him a hand in all three goals from the field this season for UNCG. one space· Two South Carolina student-athletes, sophomores Burnett and Kurtis Turner, took yellow cards on the night. one space· The Gamecocks snapped a three-game losing streak. one space· Sophomore midfielder Koty Millard had six shots, while junior midfielder Jeffrey Torda tallied five. Quotable: South Carolina Head Coach Mark Berson I was really proud of the fact that we came from behind. The goal was inattentive on our part. Up until that point, we had a lot of the ball and created some pretty good chances. At halftime, we stepped up the speed, we stepped up the intensity, we stepped up the attacking pace. That was a really important factor in the game. Up Next: The Gamecocks host their Conference USA opener on Friday night when Marshall comes to town. Start time is tentatively scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT, with the actual start time pending the end of the Gamecock women‘s soccer match against Missouri at Stone Stadium.