SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The new-look USC Upstate Spartans made program history as a team Tuesday night as they downed the Georgia State Panthers for the first time in program history.  

Freshman Max Edwards opened up the night with the first goal of his career, capitalizing on chaos in front of the net and a deflected shot by Ezra Hoffman to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead, which would prove to be the difference. Georgia State earned a penalty try just two minutes later, but Cooper Jennings would deny senior Panther Simon Carlson's attempt to preserve the shutout victory.  

Jeremy Montero had a busy night, peppering the Panthers with shots all throughout the match. The senior forward would pick up eight shots, placing five of them on target while the only other Spartan to record more than one-shot would-be Adrian Panaite, but six different Spartans threatened the visiting net on the night.  

Game Information 

USC Upstate 1 | Georgia State 0 

USC Upstate (2-2-1, 0-0-0 Big South) vs Georgia State (2-2-2, 0-0-0 Sun Belt) 

Location: County University Soccer Stadium | Spartanburg, S.C. 

How It Happened 

2' - Anthony Cox would lead off the shots for the night, trying to sneak one through the bottom of the net but it would be saved 

4' - Georgia State would fire off their first of 20 shots on the night, but Cooper Jennings continues to stand on his head, picking up the first of ten saves on the night 

2' - 19' - The first nine shots of the match would be on target, forcing keepers for both teams to make plays early on... 

16' - But it was the Spartan's Max Edwards who found the back of the net first, picking up the first goal of his career and the only goal of the night 

19' - The reigning Big South Freshman of The Week denied a Georgia State penalty kick, clearing the shot safely away and preserving the shutout 

22' - 36' - This 14-minute stretch saw Jeremy Montero take six consecutive shots for the Spartans, putting all but two of them on net. He would record five shots on target on eight shots total, with both marks being career highs 

40' - 45' - Georgia State put up pressure late in the half as former Spartan Mario Arrocha recorded his first shot of the night while Tom Williams tried to find an equalizer for the Panthers in the 44th minute 

62' - Jeremy Montero nearly came away with the goal of the season, but came up just short as his shot slammed against the woodwork 

72' - 86' - Georgia State took the final four shots of the match, but Cooper Jennings turned them all away as he earned the second shutout of the season 

Notable 

• The Spartan's victory over Georgia State was the first in program history 

• The 2-2-1 start through five matches is the best since the Spartans started with the same record through five matches in the 2021 Spring season 

• Max Edwards earned the first goal of his career. Freshmen have been responsible for three of Upstate's four goals on the season (Adrian Panaite vs UNF, Ezra Hoffman vs ETSU, Edwards vs GSU)  

• Ezra Hoffman earned the first assist of his career, meaning that ten of the Spartans twelve points have come from newcomers to the program with nine of those ten coming from freshmen.  

• Jeremy Montero's eight shots (five sog) are both career highs and the most by a Spartan since Gordon Wild had the same number against Presbyterian in 2015 

• Cooper Jennings recorded a second straight match with double-digit saves, the first such two game stretch in Upstate's D-1 history. His two, double-digit save matches are the most in a season since Andrea Bonavia had three such matches in the 2018 season 

UP Next For The Spartans 

The Spartans will look to build upon their victory as they hit the road to take on the Liberty Flames Saturday night. 

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