College of Charleston
South Carolina
Men?s Soccer Downed at South Carolina in Opener
8/25/2012 3:06:00 AM | Men's Soccer
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The College of Charleston men's soccer team fell, 1-0, in its season opener at South Carolina at Eugene E. Stone Stadium on Friday evening. The Cougars did well in possession and outshot the Gamecocks, 10-9, but left its chances empty and dropped the result.
The lone goal of the match came in the 73rd minute when Stephen Anderson sent in a hard-driven ball from 30 yards which Cougar keeper Kees Heemskerk (Zaandam, Holland) got his hands to but couldn't keep out of the net.
The Cougars outshot the Gamecocks led by Ralphie Lundy's (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) four attempts and two on frame. Lundy's finest, perhaps, came on a 25-yard free kick in the 83rd minute. Lundy brilliantly split the Gamecock wall with an out-bending laser which South Carolina keeper Alex Long was barely able to get a finger to and push it past his left post. Six different Cougars registered shots on the evening.
Heemskerk made three saves on the evening, all of which were dazzling maneuvers on seemingly impossible shots.
The game's physicality was indicative of the passion fueling this cross-state rivalry, calling on the officials to whistle 26 evenly-split fouls and issue seven yellow cards.
The Cougars take a full week off before opening the 12th annual Nike/Aaron Olitsky Memorial Classic at Patriots Point next weekend. The Cougars will face off with powerhouse Stanford on Friday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. and close with Dayton on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 2:30 p.m.
