Upstate Set To Play In Wingate Inn Classic
9/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 11, 2008
Upstate in the Wingate Inn Classic Game Notes in PDF Format 
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate will make the short trip to Rock Hill this weekend as the Spartans will be one of four teams to play in the Wingate Inn Classic hosted by Winthrop at the Winthrop Soccer Complex. The Spartans will play host Winthrop Friday night at 7:30 and former A-Sun foe Gardner-Webb Sunday at noon.
Upstate owns a winning record against both opponents in the tournament. The Spartans own a 7-3-0 edge over Winthrop in the series which dates back to a 3-2 win by Upstate on Oct. 8, 1980. Winthrop won the most recent game in the series, a 5-0 victory at Radford's Tournament last year, Upstate's first game as a member of NCAA Division I.
Upstate is 4-0-1 all-time against Gardner-Webb. The Spartans claimed a 1-0 victory over the Bulldogs in the first meeting between the two schools on Oct. 30, 1996, and took a 2-1 last year in Boiling Springs, N.C.
Looking Back At Georgia State
Upstate put together a solid offensive attack in the second half at Georgia State Monday, tying the game in the 67th minute. However, Georgia State struck back 15 seconds later to take a 2-1 lead and held off the Spartans for the victory.
Upstate fell behind 1-0 in the first half, but as Erkan Yildirim and Hakeem King began to work cohesively, the Spartans put together several opportunities. Upstate finally broke through when King beat his defender on the right side of the field, crossing the ball in front of the goal where Yildirim put a header into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Spartans - It's Tourney Time
Upstate's next four games will take place in tournaments hosted by Winthrop and Wofford, key non-conference matchups prior to the start of the A-Sun slate of games. Upstate will take on Winthrop and Gardner-Webb in Winthrop's Wingate Inn Classic this weekend. The Spartans will then take a break during the week before making the 3.5-mile trip down I-585 to Wofford to take on Wofford and Furman in a matchup with a pair of Southern Conference teams next weekend. Upstate has not played Wofford in a regular season game in 20 years, while the Spartans and Furman have not played in 19 years.
Sharing The Scoring Load
In Upstate's first two games, one win and one loss, several Spartans have shared the scoring load. Six different players have recorded a point this season, while four players have notched a goal on the year. Erkan Yildirim leads the team in scoring with three points on a goal and an assist, while two players have two points on a goal apiece.
Hooks Reaches Milestone Victory
On the way to win No. 300, Upstate head coach Greg Hooks has reached a milestone by winning his 275th game in his 21st year as a head coach in a 3-2 win over Brewton-Parker on Aug. 29. Hooks is now 25 wins away from reaching the 300-win plateau. In addition, he has won 188 games in his 14 years at Upstate and is just 12 shy of reaching the 200-win plateau at the University.
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 56-12-3 at the friendly confines of County University Soccer Stadium for a winning percentage of .810. Overall, Upstate is 224-45-13 at home for an .817 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.
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. The mix of cultures and playing styles is always a concern early in preseason training, but the kinks, along with communication, typically get worked out by the beginning of the season. Of the 27 players listed on the roster, 14 are from foreign nations.
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 275-88-23 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.
