Box Score Spartanburg, S.C. – Bluefield College (W.Va.) scored a goal late in the first half and USC Upstate netted the equalizer early in the second as the teams battled to a 1-1 tie in a preseason exhibition men's soccer game Tuesday night at County University Soccer Stadium.
Upstate ended the preseason undefeated with a 2-0-1 record after picking up wins over Belmont Abbey and Bob Jones before tying Bluefield Tuesday. The Spartans will play their exhibition opener Friday night at 7:30 against UNC Asheville at County University Soccer Stadium. Admission is free of charge to all soccer games this season and the first 75 USC Upstate students through the gate Friday will receive a free t-shirt.
Bluefield dodged an early Upstate opportunity in the first few minutes of the game. Leon Schwarzer gained possession in open space inside the box and drew Bluefield goalkeeper Oscar Hernandez off his line. Schwarzer's shot hit off the post and Heiko Allmendinger's rebound shot was kicked away by a Ram defender.
From that point on, neither team could put a shot in the back of the net for most of the remainder of the half. However, Bluefield netted a late goal to open a 1-0 lead despite trailing the Spartans in shots, 7-4. After Upstate failed to clear the ball from inside the box, Bluefield gained possession and Erik Albarran took a pass on the right side of the box and put the shot away from 6 yards out to open a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute.
Upstate got the equalizer in the 59th minute and it came off the foot of Leon Schwarzer. Schwarzer was played a ball 35 yards out from the goal, dribbled through a defender, faked out to more and hammered a shot into the top center of the net from 14 yards out to tie the game at 1-1. It was his third goal of the preseason.
Both teams had a couple chances in the waning moments of the game, but neither could find the net as the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
Upstate finished the game with a 12-9 lead in shots. Hassan Haddad started in goal for the Spartans and played 76 minutes. He came up with two saves on the evening before giving way to Santiago Restrepo for the final 14 minutes. Restrepo made one save as well.
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