SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- It's a "win and you're in' match for the USC Upstate men's soccer team as they look to close out the 2023 regular season with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in the continuation of the I-26 Rivalry Series.
Big South Standings
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High Point – 16
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Winthrop – 11
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UNC Asheville – 10
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Presbyterian – 7
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USC Upstate – 7
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Gardner-Webb – 6
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Radford – 6
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Longwood – 4
The Spartans currently sit fifth in the conference with seven points. A win against the Bulldogs on Wednesday would put the Spartans at ten, with a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bulldogs for one of the two available tournament spots.
With a tie, the Bulldogs clinch a spot but a win and a Winthrop loss means Asheville would host a first-round match.
Wednesday's Match UP
November 1, 2023 | 6:00 p.m.
Greenwood Soccer Field | Asheville, N.C.
USC Upstate (6-9-2, 2-3-1 Big South) at UNC Asheville (8-5-2, 3-2-1 Big South)
How They Stack UP
USC Upstate (6-9-2, 2-3-1 Big South) at UNC Asheville (8-5-2, 3-2-1 Big South) with ten common opponents between the two teams: Georgia State, Wofford, ETSU, Presbyterian, Longwood, Gardner-Webb, Radford, High Point, Furman, and Winthrop. The Spartans hold a 3-5-2 record in those matches while Asheville has a 4-4-2 record. Upstate had a 14-19 goal differential in those ten matches, while the Bulldogs posted a 17-20 differential.
Series
Since becoming conference foes, the Spartans hold a 4-1 record against the Bulldogs, and have a 7-3-1 record against them in the D1 Era. Upstate is currently on a three-game win streak in the series with the last two matches in Asheville being decided by one goal (3-2 in 2021, 2-1 in 2022).
Last Five Matches
11/2/2022 (UPST 2 | UNCA 1)
10/30/2021 (UPST 5 | UNCA 0)
3/21/2021 (UPST 3 | UNCA 2)
9/28/2019 (UPST 0 | UNCA 1)
8/31/2018 (UPST 2 | UNCA 0)
Players to Watch:
The Spartans will rely on Jeremy Montero and Braiden Hall to consistently put pressure on the opposing defense. The two have combined for ten of the team's 23 goals and 43 of the team's total 84 sog this season. Veterans Felipe Marty, Jimmy James, and Julian Fernandez will look to leave their mark in the match as well.
Asheville is led offensively by Conor Behan, Aysa Hamid, and Brendan Herb, but can attack from any direction as 18 Bulldogs have recorded a point on the season. In the net, the Spartans will look to get one past Charlie Farrar, one of the most consistent keepers in the Big South this season.
Last Time Out:
Upstate has had the week off but fell in their last match to the Wofford Terriers by a score of 3-2.
UNC Asheville earned a big win to shake up the Big South standings as they took down the Winthrop Eagles 3-1.
GET INVOLVED
Want to be a ball kid for USC Upstate Soccer? Kids ages 10 and up can help the Spartans all season long by retrieving game balls on the sidelines during home men's and women's soccer matches at County-University Soccer Stadium. Click here for more details.
Connect with the Spartans
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics
Twitter | @UpstateMSoccer
Instagram | @Upstatemenssoccer
Youtube.com/UpstateSpartans
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