Saturday's MatchUP
April 3, 4:00 p.m. EST
USC Upstate (5-3-1, 5-1-1 Big South) at Gardner-Webb (5-3, 3-2 Big South)
Greene-Harbison Stadium | Boiling Springs, N.C.

Series History
The Spartans and Bulldogs have met 10 times in their all-time series, dating back to September 14, 2008 when the Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in Spartanburg. The Spartans have not found as much success in the series in recent times, having lost the last three meetings between the two programs. Gardner-Webb leads the all-time series 6-3-1, and won the most recent matchup on October 8, 2019 1-0 in Spartanburg.

Last Time Out
The Spartans are coming off a hard-fought, 2-1 loss at home against High Point this past Saturday. In a matchup between the Big South Conference's top two teams, the Spartans and Panthers traded blows in a scoreless first half that saw both teams create but fail to convert on a handful of quality scoring chances. Pol Monells had Upstate's best scoring chance of the first half when, after making one of his many runs in-behind the defense on the left wing, he cut inside and delivered a hard shot on goal from a tight angle that was palmed away by the High Point keeper. The second half saw both teams open up and be a bit more aggressive in their attacking movements, and High Point capitalized with two goals in a span of three minutes early in the second half. However, the Spartans never let up, and they answered in the 64th minute when Poll Monells converted from the penalty spot to score his seventh goal of the year. The Spartans continued to push for an equalizer in the second half, and continued to establish possession in the final third in an effort to break down a High Point defense that had conceded just three goals coming into the game. Despite their efforts and possession, the Spartans were unable to supply the final ball, and ultimately failed to find the equalizing goal.

The Bulldogs will enter the weekend matchup following a 1-0 away win against Winthrop on Wednesday in which the Bulldogs were efficient in front of goal despite being outshot 16-6 on the night. Wednesday night was the fourth straight win for the Bulldogs.

Ones to Watch
Upstate – Senior winger Pol Monells continued his scoring form against High Point when he converted from the penalty spot in the 64th minute. The goal was Monells' seventh of the season, and extended his streak of having created at least one goal per match to six matches. In addition to leading the Spartans in goals, Monells leads the Spartans in assists and points, and continues to be Upstate's most potent threat going forward. He currently ranks second in the Big South Conference in points and goals, and is tied for first in the conference in assists. Monells' strong season finds him ranked among the nation's leaders in Division I, as he currently ranks seventh in goals, twelfth in assists, and fourth in total points. Freshman forward Jeremy Montero will look to get back on track after seeing his scoring streak come to an end against High Point. Montero had created at least one goal in four consecutive matches prior to Upstate's match against High Point, and his eleven points is still good enough for second on the team. Montero has seen his minutes steadily increase as the season has progressed, and he has established himself as one of Upstate's first-choice forwards. Montero's 11 point this season ranks second all-time among Upstate freshman in the DI era.

Gardner-Webb – Senior midfielder Abel Gebrekiros enters the weekend as the Bulldogs' team leader in goals (4), assists (4), and points (12). He scored the Bulldogs' lone goal in their most recent match, and has created at least one goal in three of Gardner-Webb's last four matches. Additionally, Gebrekiros has established himself as a workhorse in the midfield, having played the full 90 minutes in three of the Bulldogs' last four matches.

UP Next for the Spartans
The Spartans will await the final conference standings and seedings to see who their opponent will be in the semifinals of the Big South Championship, set for Wednesday, April 14 at the location of the higher seed.

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