University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
3-6-0, 1-0-0
Presbyterian
0-7-0, 0-1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| USC Upstate | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Presbyterian | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Men's Soccer Starts Big South Play Defeating Presbyterian
9/19/2026 10:01:00 PM | Men's Soccer
CLINTON, S.C. – USC Upstate men's soccer opened Big South Conference play on a high note Saturday evening, using a pair of second-half goals to secure a 3-1 road victory over Presbyterian at Martin Stadium. The win improved the Spartans to 3-6-0 overall and 1-0-0 in league play, while Presbyterian fell to 0-7-0 and 0-1-0 in conference action.
Upstate controlled much of the attacking play throughout the night, finishing with a 21-14 advantage in total shots and putting nine attempts on frame. The Spartans also generated nine corner kicks while limiting the Blue Hose to three. Goalkeeper Jarrett Wuerslin helped anchor the effort on the other end, recording seven saves while allowing just one goal across the full 90 minutes.
The Spartans broke through first in the 32nd minute when Tolu Fabamifobee found the back of the net for his second goal of the season. Oscar Kelly provided the assist as Upstate grabbed a 1-0 advantage. Fabamifobee was active throughout the match, finishing with five shots and three shots on goal.
Presbyterian answered just six minutes later. Aiden Burke scored in the 38th minute off assists from Gabriel Leslie and Gabe Carvalho, sending the teams into halftime tied at 1-1. Despite the level score, Upstate had created the majority of the opportunities during the opening 45 minutes, outshooting Presbyterian 13-5 while earning four corner kicks.
The Spartans wasted little time reclaiming the lead after halftime. Just 1:52 into the second period, David Palade scored his first goal of the season, finishing a chance created by Jacob Cromedy to put Upstate back in front, 2-1.
Upstate added an insurance goal in the 60th minute as Christian Cook continued his strong offensive season. Cook buried his fourth goal of the year off an assist from Palade, extending the Spartan advantage to 3-1. Palade finished the night with a team-high three points on one goal and one assist, while Cook recorded his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
From there, the Spartan defense and Wuerslin kept Presbyterian off the board to close out the two-goal victory. Wuerslin made five of his seven saves after halftime as the Blue Hose attempted to cut into the deficit.
Offensively, Cook and Fabamifobee paced Upstate with five shots apiece, while Palade and Kelly each added four attempts. Palade placed three of his four shots on target, matching Fabamifobee for the team lead in shots on goal. Upstate finished the evening with three different goal scorers and received assists from Kelly, Cromedy and Palade.
The victory gives Upstate a 1-0 start to Big South competition and its first conference win of the 2026 campaign.
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Tolu Fabamifobee (2)
Assisted By: Oscar Kelly
GOAL by USCU Fabamifobee, Tolu Assist by Kelly, Oscar.
31:35
Aiden Burke (1)
Assisted By: Gabriel Leslie , Gabe Carvalho
GOAL by PC Burke, Aiden Assist by Leslie, Gabriel and Carvalho, Gabe.
37:35
David Palade (1)
Assisted By: Jacob Cromedy
GOAL by USCU Palade, David Assist by Cromedy, Jacob.
46:52
Christian Cook (4)
Assisted By: David Palade
GOAL by USCU Cook, Christian Assist by Palade, David.
59:41
