Upstate Hits Road For A-Sun Games At Campbell And Mercer
10/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 7, 2009
Game Notes | Campbell Live Video | Campbell Live Stats
Mercer ASun.TV | Mercer Live Stats
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate continues its four-game road swing with a pair of A-Sun contests as the Spartans travel to Campbell for a 7:00 p.m. match Thursday and Mercer for a 7:00 p.m. game Saturday. Upstate enters the weekend with a 3-4-1 overall record and a 0-0-1 mark with a point in the A-Sun. Campbell stands 1-0-1 with four points in the A-Sun and 2-6-1 overall, while Mercer leads the league with a 2-0-0 record and six points in the league and a 3-4-2 overall record. Upstate is 1-3-0 all-time against Campbell, having dropped both contests against the Camels as members of the A-Sun. The Spartans are 2-1-0 all-time against Mercer, having split two games with the Bears as members of the conference.
Mitchell Cardenas leads Campbell in scoring with three goals and three assists for nine points, while Ted Awana and Ryan Amons split time in goal with goals against averages of 2.60 and 1.66, respectively. Ian Cameron leads Mercer in scoring with 11 points on five goals and an assist, while Brett Petricek has spent the majority of time in the net with a 1.31 goals against average.
Fans not in attendance at the games can follow the action online. Live video and stats for the Campbell game can be accessed through Campbell's official Athletics Web site at www.gocamels.com. Live video through ASun.TV will be available for the Mercer game by clicking the Mercer tab on the site's official Web site at www.asun.tv, while live statistical updates are available on www.mercerbears.com, the official online home of Mercer Athletics.
Looking Back At ETSU
USC Upstate withstood a constant offensive attack from East Tennessee State and despite being outshot 33-6 for the match, took a 0-0 tie out of Johnson City, Tenn., Sunday afternoon. The Spartans received a little luck as three of the Buccaneers' shots hit the crossbar but did not make it into the goal as Upstate extended its non-losing streak to a Division I record three games.
Upstate Goes Streaking
With a pair of wins two weeks ago and a tie last week, Upstate has not suffered a defeat in the last three games, marking a new Division I era school record. Upstate won back-to-back games over Belmont and Lipscomb in 2007, but lost its next time out.
Securing An DI First
Heading into last Sunday's game at ETSU, 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 set a DI first for the program.
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) and Presbyterian (2-1, 2OT), 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 14-16-3 all-time against the league. In the Spartans' two seasons playing in the A-Sun prior to this year, Upstate owns a 4-13-2 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.
Hooks An Accomplished Field Leader
USC Upstate head coach Greg Hooks has had an accomplished 22-year coaching career. He has a career record of 279-106-25 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 192 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.
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.
