SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Presbyterian College will have to wait until 2024 to try to get their first win in Spartanburg since 2008 as the USC Upstate Spartans send the Blue Hose back home with a 5-3 loss.
The Spartan offense, led by a heroic 2 goal effort from Andrin Zumbuhl, battered the Presbyterian defense throughout the night, scoring more goals against the Blue Hose than the at the time top ranked Clemson Tigers did (CLEM won 4-0, Upstate won 5-3).
               Upstate's 12 shots on goal tied a Division 1 era match record set just last week against Radford, while the Spartan's 16 total shots tied for their second most of the season.
               That's not to say the match was without its exciting moments. The Spartans set the tone early in the first half with Felipe Marty breaking through first on a free kick. 17 seconds later, it was Andrin Zumbuhl who found the back of the net, giving the Spartans an early 2-0 lead. The Blue Hose fought back with a goal of their own thanks to Vidar Ragnarsson, but Brody Williams converted the 2^nd penalty kick attempt of the night and Upstate carried a 3-1 lead into half.
               Presbyterian showed why they had only lost one match coming into tonight's pivotal matchup as the Blue Hose found two rapid goals early in the second half to notch it at 3-3. Xavi Wences took a Braiden Hall pass and called game, scoring his second game-winning goal of the season. Andrin Zumbuhl tapped in a crafty left foot shot late in the match for good measure, as the Spartans topped the Blue Hose and secured 3 points in Big South play.
 
Game Information
Score: UPST 5 | PRES 3
Records: Upstate (3-5-3, 1-1-1 Big South) | Presbyterian (7-2-2, 1-1-2 Big South)
Location: County University Soccer Stadium |
 
How It Happened
3' – The Blue Hose got the first shot of the night, but Luca Bulfon got the first of his seven saves on the night.
7' – Upstate's first shot of the night had a better result than Presbyterian's, as Felipe Mary fired an expertly placed free kick to secure the first goal of the match, his first goal of the season and his first goal in Green.
7' – Only 17 seconds later, it was Andrin Zumbuhl who found the back of the net, giving the Spartans an early 2-0 lead and setting the tone early.
8' – 20' – The next six shots of the match went for Presbyterian, eventually culminating in a goal for Vidar Ragnarsson which trimmed the Spartan lead to 1.
22' – Jeremy Montero earned the first Upstate penalty kick attempt of the season, but a diving Blue Hose goalie made the save…
38' - …but he didn't save the second Upstate penalty kick attempt of the season, which came off the foot of Brody Williams. Williams earned his 2^nd goal of the season and stretched the Spartan lead to 3-1
45' – In eerily similar fashion to the first half, Braiden Hall fired the first shot of the half…
46' – 47' - …but it was the Blue Hose who found the back of the net first, rattling off two goals a minute and a half apart to tie it all up again…
56' – …until Xavi Wences and Braiden Hall decided to break the tie. Braiden delivered a ball to Wences who banged through what would be the game-winner
62'- Andrin Zumbuhl fought through contact and forced a 1 on 1 with the Presbyterian keeper, beating him with a crafty left footed kick to put the Spartans up 2 for good.
62' – 80' – The flurry of scoring ended there as this 18-minute chunk saw only 4 combined shots from both teams, the Spartans working the clock and wearing down the Blue Hose
80' – 90' – For the final ten minutes, it seemed like the goal was to get Andrin Zumbuhl the hat-trick as the transfer rattled off the final three shots of the match. Zumbuhl was unable to find the mark but he is the first Spartan to notch two goals in the same match since Javier Torres did it against UNC Asheville last season.
 
Notable
-The Spartans have hung 5 goals in a match against Presbyterian twice, including a 5-1 win in spring of 2021.
-Upstate has now scored 5 goals or more in a match 4 times since joining the Big South
-The Spartans tied a Division 1 era record with 12 shots on goal
-Andrin Zumbuhl is the first Spartan to score two goals in a match since Javier Torres did it last season vs UNC Asheville
-Xavi Wences collected his 2^nd game-winning goal of the season (Wofford is his other)
-Brody Williams scored Upstate's first penalty kick on their second penalty kick attempt of the season
-Four Spartans played the full 90 minutes (Lucas Bulfon, Kasper Jorgensen, Julian Fernandez, Felipe Marty)
 
UP Next for The Spartans
Upstate goes on a 3-road game slate beginning with Longwood this Saturday.
 
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