Spartans Play Host To Dolphins, Ospreys
10/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 1, 2008
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
Spartanburg, S.C. - When USC Upstate and Jacksonville take the field Friday night at 7:30 at County University Soccer Stadium, it will mark just the fourth game the two programs have played against each other. Upstate enters the contest with a 1-7-0 record, while Jacksonville is 3-6-0 on the year. Both teams will be playing their A-Sun opener Friday night. Fans can watch the action live on the internet at ASun.TV and can get live statistical updates using Gametracker via the official Upstate Athletics Web site, www.upstatespartans.com.
The series resumed last season as Upstate entered the A-Sun and Jacksonville took a 4-1 win on Sept. 30 in Jacksonville. The first meeting between the two schools took place on Sept. 20, 1980, in Spartanburg, a 5-0 win by the Dolphins. Upstate took its first win of the series on Oct. 21, 1983, a 4-2 win in Spartanburg.
Upstate and North Florida (3-5-0) resume their rivalry Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. as both schools are former members of the Peach Belt Conference (DII). Upstate owns an 8-2-1 lead in the series. However, UNF won last year's meeting, a 1-0 decision in Jacksonville on Sept. 28. The Spartans won the first meeting in the series on Oct. 26, 1997, a 3-0 win in Jacksonville. Fans can get live statistical updates during the game using Gametracker via the official Upstate Athletics Web site, www.upstatespartans.com.
Looking Back At Presbyterian
Presbyterian scored two first half goals en route to a 3-1 victory over Upstate Sunday afternoon at County University Soccer Stadium.
After the Blue Hose opened a 2-0 lead, Erkan Yildirim scored early in the second half to get the Spartans within one, 2-1. However, 55 seconds later, Presbyterian answered with its third goal to put the game seemingly out of reach. PC, though, had a player receive a red card with 27 minutes to play in the game and had to play a man down. Upstate could not capitalize as the Blue Hose did a solid job of killing Spartan scoring opportunities to record the 3-1 win.
One Streak Down, One To Go
Upstate entered the Presbyterian game with two dubious streaks intact. By the end of the game, one streak was broken.
The Spartans entered the PC game on a five-game scoreless streak and a six-game losing streak. With Erkan Yildirim's second half goal, the scoreless streak came to an end. The Spartans had not scored since the Sept. 8 game at Georgia State, a span of five games and 533 minutes and 59 seconds. It marked the longest scoreless streak in school history, surpassing last year's four-game scoreless streak near the end of the season.
The losing streak, however, has remained intact and is the second longest losing streak in school history, short of the eight-game losing skid suffered a year ago to open the season.
Youth Movement Afoot
In its second year playing on the NCAA DI level, Upstate has turned to a youthful lineup on the field. With senior defender Nick Buxton sidelined with an injury and a large recruiting class the last two seasons, it is not uncommon to see several freshmen or sophomores on the field at the same time. The projected starting lineup for Friday's game has eight players who are either freshmen or sophomores, with two seniors and a junior filling out the lineup.
Multi-National Team Takes The Field
USC Upstate is no stranger to having international players on its men's soccer team and the 2008 version of the Spartans is no different. Players on the team represent eight different countries including the United States, Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Peru and Trinidad. Of the 26 players listed on the roster, 14 are from foreign nations.
Spartans Strong At Home
Since moving into County University Soccer Stadium, the Upstate men's soccer program has been tough to beat. Actually, since the inception of the program in 1980, the Spartans have been stout on the Spartanburg campus. Upstate is an impressive 56-13-3 at the friendly confines of County University Soccer Stadium for a winning percentage of .799. Overall, Upstate is 224-46-13 at home for an .815 winning percentage in Spartanburg. Upstate played its first season in the quad behind the Administrative Building prior to moving to historic Rifle Field in 1981. The Spartans (then, the Rifles) tallied a 162-30-10 record for an .802 winning percentage at Rifle Field.
Hooks An Accomplished Field Leader
USC Upstate head coach Greg Hooks has had an accomplished 21-year coaching career. He has a career record of 275-94-23 with coaching stints at Spartanburg Methodist (1985), Lees-McRae (1986-87), University of Charleston (1991-94) and USC Upstate (1995-present). He started the programs at both Lees-McRae and University of Charleston, leading both programs to national rankings. He took over the Upstate program in 1995 and coached the team to an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championship game and returned the team to the title game in 1998. He has led Upstate to 188 victories, five Peach Belt Conference regular season championships, six Peach Belt Conference Tournament titles, and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Hooks ended his reign in NCAA Division II as the division's second winningest coach all-time and currently ranks 20th all-time in the history of the NCAA, regardless of division standing.
Spartan Soccer - A Story Of Success
While the USC Upstate Athletics Department has had a storied history of success throughout its existence, the men's soccer program has achieved success on a more consistent level than any other program at the University. Upstate men's soccer finished third in the NAIA National Tournament three straight years from 1983-85 and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 16 years in the NCAA Division II. The Spartans claimed seven regular season Peach Belt Conference championships, nine Peach Belt Conference Tournament titles, and advanced to the championship game of the league tournament 14 times in 16 years.
