Upstate Hosts Key A-Sun Matchups With Stetson, FGCU
10/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 15, 2009
Game Notes | Gametracker - Stetson | Gametracker - FGCU | ASun.TV
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate hits the field for a pair of A-Sun games this weekend, playing host to Stetson on Friday night at 7:30 and Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 at County University Soccer Stadium. Upstate enters the weekend with a 4-5-1 overall record and a 1-1-1 mark with four points in the A-Sun. Stetson stands 9-1-1 overall and 3-1-0 with nine points in the A-Sun. FGCU is 5-5-1 overall and 3-1-0 with nine points in the conference. The game between Upstate and FGCU is the A-Sun Game of the Week. Upstate is 0-2-0 all-time against Stetson, while the Spartans are 0-1-1 against FGCU.
Stetson enters the weekend tied for second in the A-Sun with FGCU and Mercer. The Hatters have a pair of prolific scorers in Griffin Gilstrap and Kevin Munz. The pair have combined for 34 points on the season with Gilstrap chipping in with eight goals and three assists for 19 points and Munz tallying five goals and five assists for 15 points. Logan Potter has logged every minute in goal for the Hatters and owns a 1.14 goals against average.
FGCU enters the weekend tied for second in the A-Sun with Stetson and Mercer. The Eagles are paced offensively by Cristian Raudales who has notched five goals and an assist for 11 points. Matthew Smith has played every second in goal this season and owns a 1.23 goals against average.
Both games can be seen live on the internet at www.asun.tv and clicking the USC Upstate tab. Subscription costs will apply. Fans can also receive live statistical updates via Gametracker on the official Upstate Athletics Web site at www.upstatespartans.com.
Looking Back At Campbell and Mercer
It was a tale of two different games last week as Upstate went on the road Thursday and took a 4-1 loss at Campbell. Tim Bailey scored his first collegiate goal in the loss as the Spartans were outshot, 19-6, for the game. Upstate rebounded on Saturday, though, and gutted out a tough 2-1 victory at Mercer, a team that had been previously undefeated in the A-Sun and sat atop the conference standings. Erkan Yildirim gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the first half. After Mercer tied the game and with time winding down in regulation, John Kadane scored in the 83rd minute to lift Upstate to the win.
Kadane Notches First Game Winner
Frsshman defender John Kadane scored his first collegiate goal in the 2-1 win at UNC Asheville. He achieved another first Saturday night at Mercer, notching his first career game winner with his goal in the 83rd minute. Upstate is now 2-0 in games when Kadane scores.
Upstate Strong In Last Five Games
In its third season playing in Division I, and the first as a full member of the A-Sun and DI men's soccer, Upstate has begun to see the fruits of its labor in building a Division I program. The Spartans are 3-1-1 in the last five games of the season, picking up back-to-back wins over Georgia Southern and Presbyterian before starting A-Sun play. Upstate is a solid 1-1-1 in the conference with a win at Mercer and a tie at ETSU. In the last seven games, the Spartans are 4-2-1.
Spartans In The A-Sun
With recent success on the field, Upstate has moved into the upper echelon in several statistical categories in the latest A-Sun statistical report. With 13 assists on the year, Upstate ranks third in assists per game. Defensively, Upstate is ranked highly as well, coming in third with 15 goals allowed and second with 63 saves on the year. Individually, Pat Regna tops all A-Sun goalkeepers with 6.1 saves per game and second with 61 total saves.
Securing A Division I First
Heading into the game at ETSU on Oct. 4, Upstate had yet to record a shutout as a member of NCAA Division I. With Pat Regna in goal and a bend but don't break defense, the Spartans secured the shutout and tie to give the program its first DI shutout.
Regna Earns A-Sun, Goal.com Weekly Honors
After a tremendous week when he collected 19 saves and made several extraordinary saves to lead Upstate to a pair of victories over Georgia Southern (3-1, Sept. 23) and Presbyterian (2-1, 2OT, Sept. 26), Spartan goalkeeper Pat Regna earned A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 28. It marked the fourth A-Sun weekly honor for a Spartan men's soccer player since Upstate moved to Division I and the conference in 2007. Regna also received national honors by Goal.com when he was one of 11 players across the country named to the Web site's Team of the Week.
Upstate Versus The A-Sun
As Upstate moves into A-Sun play, it is noteworthy to chronicle the Spartans' performance against A-Sun member institutions. Upstate has played A-Sun member schools 33 times and is 15-17-3 all-time against the league. In the Spartans' two seasons playing in the A-Sun prior to this year, Upstate owns a 5-14-2 record against conference schools.
Upstate Sheds Provisional Status, Now Fully DI Eligible
While Upstate men's soccer is just in its third year of competing on the NCAA Division I level, it is now fully eligible for postseason A-Sun and NCAA tournament play in 2009. Upstate, upon declaring its intention to move to DI membership, tapped the men's soccer and softball teams as fast-track sports into NCAA Division I. After two seasons playing on the DI level, men's soccer and softball are now fully eligible members.
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 58-19-3 at the friendly confines of County University Soccer Stadium for a winning percentage of .744. Overall, Upstate is 226-52-13 at home for an .799 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.
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.
