Upstate Travels To Clemson To End 2008 Season
11/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 5, 2008
Upstate vs. Clemson Game Notes in PDF Format
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate ends the 2008 season Friday night at 7:00 against Clemson at historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C. The game marks the 10th meeting between the two schools in a series that dates back to Sept. 10, 1981. Clemson took a 3-0 win in that game and owns an 8-0-1 edge over the Spartans. The Tigers claimed a 2-0 victory last year at Riggs Field.
Fans not in attendance at the game can watch the action live on the internet by accessing the official Clemson Athletics Web site at www.clemsontigers.com and selecting All-Access. Fans can also get live statistical updates via Gametracker by visiting the official Upstate Athletics Web site at www.UpstateSpartans.com.
Looking Back At The Weekend
Upstate closed out the 2008 A-Sun slate of games with a pair of contests in Florida. The Spartans fell, 5-1, at Stetson last Friday and tied Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, 2-2.
Stetson scored the first five goals of the game Friday to take a commanding lead before Heine Oehrling scored his first collegiate goal to cut the margin to four.
Despite the loss at Stetson Friday, upstate responded Sunday afternoon at Florida Gulf Coast. David Stanbra scored two goals to lead the way for the Spartans as each goal gave Upstate a one-goal lead in the match. However, FGCU scored late in the game to force overtime and the teams battled to a draw after the two overtime periods.
Hooks' Clemson-Upstate Connection
Greg Hooks, who coached his 400th game as a head coach last weekend, and Clemson have two strong connections that makes each meeting between a Hooks coached team and the Tigers something special. First, Hooks served as an assistant coach at the university under legendary coach the late I.M. Ibrahim from 1988-90. Hooks helped lead the Tigers to three straight Top 20 final rankings, including an eight-week stay at No. 1 in 1990.
In addition to his coaching experience at Clemson, Hooks also received part of his higher education from the university. He earned a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from Clemson in 2001.
Stanbra Wrapping Up Career In Grand Fashion
Standout senior midfielder/forward David Stanbra is putting together a strong end to his four-year career wearing an Upstate jersey. A native of Worcester, England, Stanbra has tallied seven points in the last three matches, improving his season total to nine points. His nine points on the year is tied with Alex Garcev, a fellow Englander, atop the points standings on the Spartans, as are the seven points he has scored during A-Sun play.
Stanbra was named the A-Sun Player of the Week after scoring a goal and dishing out an assist in the 3-1 win over Mercer which snapped Upstate's school record 13-game losing streak. He finished Sunday with a pair of goals in the 2-2 tie at Florida Gulf Coast and was named the Sprint Spartan of the Week. Stanbra has played in 59 games and scored 24 points on 10 goals and four assists in his four years at Upstate.
A DI First
Heading into last weekend, Upstate still had two DI firsts it had not accomplished, garnering a tie and recording a shutout. One of those firsts fell as Upstate tied Florida Gulf Coast, 2-2, to finish the A-Sun slate of games for 2008.
Breaking Out Of The Scoring Woes
Upstate certainly has broken out of its scoring slump the last three weeks of the season. Prior to the Oct. 10 game against Belmont, the Spartans had scored just six goals in the first 10 games and had endured a school record five-game scoreless streak. However, since the game at Belmont, Upstate has scored in six of the last seven games, including finding the back of the net three times against Mercer and twice against Florida Gulf Coast. Last year, Carter Ridgeway and Chad McCoy tied for the team lead with seven points. This season, David Stanbra and Alex Garcev have each surpassed that total with nine points each to take the team lead.
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 57-17-3 at the friendly confines of County University Soccer Stadium for a winning percentage of .760. Overall, Upstate is 225-50-13 at home for an .804 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 276-101-24 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 189 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.
