Upstate Opens A-Sun Season at Mercer Friday
10/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Spartanburg, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's soccer team will open A-Sun play Friday night at 7:00 when the Spartans head to Macon, Ga., to take on Mercer. It will be the A-Sun opener for both teams.
Having wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule at No. 15 Clemson last week, Upstate (0-5-1, 0-0-0) will look to get off to a solid start in A-Sun play Friday night. The Spartans will face a Mercer squad that stands 2-7-0 on the year. The match will be the eighth meeting between the two schools and could tilt the all-time series in favor of one school or the other. The teams enter the game tied at 3-3-1 all-time in a series that dates back to the 1982 season.
"We are looking forward to the beginning of conference play," said Upstate head coach Greg Hooks. "The A-Sun has gotten better every year and I expect this year to be no different. While we are disappointed with some of the results we have had so far, our players believe, and I believe, we are better than our record indicates and look forward to the beginning of the A-Sun season. Although our record doesn't indicate it, I think we have made a lot of progress this season and is not indicative of what our team is capable of doing."
Upstate has had a rash of nagging injuries which have sidelined several players for games or parts of games early this season. With the extended time off since last week's game at Clemson, head coach Greg Hooks is optimistic at getting several players back in the lineup for the Mercer match, including leading scorer Dave Musambi. Musambi sat out the Clemson game with a strained hip and is expected to play at Mercer. He leads the team in scoring with nine points on four goals and an assist.
"We have struggled with injuries to key players this season, but that can't be an excuse," said Hooks. "The majority of teams in college soccer have injuries they have to overcome throughout the season and we are no different. I am looking forward to getting some players back who have shown the ability to help us get positive results."
Fans can follow the action online at upstatespartans.com where links for live statistical updates are available.
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