Friday, September 25
Davidson, N.C.
7:00 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
No. 25 South Carolina
Team captain Alex Caskey's early second-half goal at High Point on Tuesday ignited a comeback win
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Men's Soccer Looking To Extend Winning Streak Friday vs. South Carolina
9/23/2009 3:26:00 PM | Men's Soccer
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Winners of five of their first six matches, including the last three on the road, the Davidson men's soccer team will face their toughest test so far this season when South Carolina challenges the Wildcats on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Alumni Stadium.
“South Carolina represents a new challenge based on their program's pedigree and their excellent level of talent and ambition, “ said head coach Matt Spear. “Playing at home should give us an added boost, but we will have our hands full to contain their athletes. We must be sharp for each play, and we must believe we can take our game to them.”
For those who can't make it to the field, the match will be broadcast on live video with live audio commentary, along with live stats throughout the contest.
Scouting the Wildcats: Davidson is 5-1-0 for the first-time since 2001 and off to their best start since the 5-1-1 mark posted at the beginning of the 2005 season. The 'Cats were recently ranked ninth in the South region by the NSCAA. A 3-1 loss to Coastal Carolina on Sept. 13 is the only blemish on the team's near-perfect record so far this season. Since the loss, Davidson has won three on the road against Radford (2-0), Presbyterian (2-1) and High Point (3-2).
“Winning three straight on the road underlines the team's growing maturity and confidence,” said Spear. “The effort, performance level, and chemistry have all been solid.”
The 'Cats have had a flare for the dramatic so far this season, winning the season opener over USC Upstate, 3-2 in double overtime and coming from behind in their last two. On Saturday at Presbyterian, sophomore walk-on Allen Page (Columbus, Ga.) scored the game-winning goal with just 1:27 remaining. On Tuesday, Davidson fell into a 2-0 hole in the first half, but rallied early in the second half with three goals, the last two coming from junior Yannick Pilgrim (Arima, Trinidad & Tobago).
Enjoying a breakout season, senior Charlie Reiter (Westport, Conn.) leads the team in scoring with 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists). Reiter has been key on corner kicks as three of his assists were recorded on corners. Davidson's first two goals against High Point came off Reiter corner kicks in less than a two-minute span. Pilgrim is second on the team with eight points (3 goals, 2 assists) while All-Southern Conference standout Alex Caskey (Dunwoody, Ga.) is third with seven points (3 goals, 1 assist).
Scouting the Gamecocks: Conference USA power South Carolina is off to a 4-1-1 start and ranked 25th in the country by Soccer America. They are receiving votes for the national Top 25 in the NSCAA poll and are ranked four spots ahead of Davidson in the South region in fifth place. Sam Arthur leads the team in scoring with seven points (3 goals, 1 assist). South Carolina head coach Mark Berson earned his 425th career victory on Sunday when the Gamecocks defeated Northern Illinois 1-0.
The Series: The Davidson-South Carolina series began in 1961 with the Wildcats taking a 6-0 win in the first-ever match between the teams. All-time, Davidson is 9-20-2 vs. the Gamecocks, last winning in 2003. Davidson dropped the last season's match 4-0.
Up Next: The Wildcats begin conference play against the College of Charleston, the first-team outside of the NSCAA Top 25 poll and the sixth-ranked team in the South and at home on Wednesday in Alumni Stadium at 7 p.m.
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