Marshall University Athletics
Herd Prepares for Saturday Encounter with S. Carolina
10/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 12, 2012
HURRICANE, W.Va.- The Thundering Herd men's soccer team will entertain Conference USA foe South Carolina in a crucial late-season showdown at Hurricane High School on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The game will be a matchup between the No. 9 and No. 8 winningest NCAA Div. I coaches in college men's soccer history as Marshall Head Coach Bob Gray (420-224-48) and South Carolina Head Coach Mark Berson (454-193-63) square-off in what will be the two programs' eighth meeting in the all-time series. The Thundering Herd currently holds a 4-3 advantage, but lost 3-1 when the two sides met in Columbia, S.C., last fall.
Marshall enters the match 9-1-1 overall and 1-1 in C-USA after defeating Memphis 1-0 and falling 2-0 to Tulsa in its last league match. The Gamecocks, who were predicted to finish the season No. 1 in the conference, have struggled through the first half of the season while playing against some of the top teams in the nation. Holding a 4-6-2 overall record, the team is 1-3-1 in C-USA play with defeats coming against Tulsa, SMU, and most recently, No. 25 UAB.
The Gamecocks leading goalscorer, Bradlee Baladez, has just two goals on the season, while 10 other South Carolina players have one. For Marshall, senior forward Tom Jackson continues to lead from the front with seven goals, while freshman midfielder Jack Hopkins is second on the team with four.
On defense, Marshall continues to rely on the stellar play of goalkeeper Daniel Withrow, who leads a Herd defense that has given up the least amount of goals in Div. I play this season. The senior goalie also boasts the best goals against avg. and save percentage in the conference.
Live stats, directions to Hurricane High School, and game notes are available at the links below. Admission to the match is free for everyone.
| Directions | Marshall Game Notes | South Carolina Game Notes
