South Carolina Gamecocks Men's Soccer

The South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer team represents the University of South Carolina and, as of the 2022 college soccer season, competes in the Sun Belt Conference. The team is coached by Tony Annan, who succeeded Mark Berson as head coach after the 2020 season. Berson had been the Gamecocks' only head coach since the program's inception in 1978 and had participated in 22 NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Quarterfinals on four occasions. Since 1981, South Carolina has played its home games at Stone Stadium, which is affectionately called "The Graveyard" by South Carolina fans due to an adjoining cemetery.

Program history

South Carolina first fielded a men's soccer team in 1978 under the direction of current coach Mark Berson. The program wasted little time making a name for itself on the national stage, as it reached the NCAA Quarterfinals in 1985. The 14-year period from 1985 to 1998 was a dominant era for South Carolina, as it posted a 213–61–22 overall record with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. Of the 12 NCAA Tournament trips during this run, the Gamecocks advanced to the second round or beyond on nine occasions.

Throughout its history, South Carolina has made 22 NCAA Tournaments, with four Quarterfinal appearances, two Semi-final appearances, and a 1993 National Runner-up finish. The 1993 squad won 16 contests before falling to Virginia 2–0 in the National Title game. The Gamecocks' most recent NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2016. Since the SEC does not sponsor NCAA Men's Soccer, South Carolina has participated as an Independent (even in its original years in the Metro Conference), finally joining the Metro for men's soccer in 1993 and 1994, but was forced back to independent status following the 1995 reunification with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA (C-USA) until 2005, when Kentucky left the Mid-American Conference in order to allow the two SEC schools to play in C-USA together. South Carolina and Kentucky continued to play in C-USA through the 2021 season, after which both left to join the revived men's soccer league of the Sun Belt Conference.

In terms of conference championships, South Carolina won the Metro Conference season title in 1993 and the Conference USA tournament in 2005 and 2010, along with its regular season title in 2011.

Head coaches

Coaches history

Year-by-year results

Championships

*Metro Conference: 1993
*Conference USA: 2005, 2010, 2011

Records

All-Time career leaders

Scoring

Goalkeeping

Single season records

Points: 53, Clint Mathis-1995

Goals: 25, Clint Mathis-1995

Assists: 16, Rubén Tufiño-1989

GAA: 0.49, Charles Arndt-1987

Shutouts: 13, Warren Lipka – 1985

Notable former players

Current professionals

* Joshua Alcala – Free Agent
* Bradlee Baladez – FC Dallas
* Blake Brettschneider – Rochester Rhinos
* Brad Guzan – Atlanta United, United States men's national soccer team
* Tim Hankinson – Head coach of Indy Eleven
* Makan Hislop – United Petrotrin, Trinidad and Tobago national football team
* Jimmy Maurer – New York Cosmos
* Janny Rivera – Atlanta Silverbacks
* Jack Cummings - Cleveland City
* Tyler Ruthven – Miami FC
* Joey Worthen – Head coach of Florida Atlantic Men's Soccer Team
* Braeden Troyer – Richmond Kickers

Retired professionals

* Clint Mathis – Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Hannover 96, Colorado Rapids, Ergotelis, Real Salt Lake; Former member of US National Team
* Josh Wolff – Sporting Kansas City, 1860 Munich, D.C. United; Former member of US National Team
* Eric Hawkes – Played 5 Seasons for Maryland Bays in the ASL & APSL National Champions.
* Doug Allison – Played 5 seasons in the NPSL; Current Furman men's soccer coach
* Paul Turin – Played for the Tulsa Roughnecks of the NASL
* Henry Ring – Chicago Fire
* Clark Brisson – Charleston Battery
* Rob Smith – Columbus Crew
* Rubén Tufiño – Played in Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano, most notably with Blooming and Bolivar; earned 35 caps for Bolivian National Team
* Mike Gosselin – earned one cap for US National Team
* Billy Clifford – played three seasons for the Jacksonville Cyclones
* Ray Vigliotti – Played for the Miami Americans of the ASL; played for the New York Arrows, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Baltimore Blast, and Wichita Wings of the Major Indoor Soccer League
* Richard Wurdack – Played for the Denver Avalanche and Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League
* Warren Lipka – Played for the Fort Wayne Flames, Indiana Kick, and the Detroit Rockers of the American Indoor Soccer Association
* Scott Cook – Played for the Maryland Bays of the American Professional Soccer League
* Charles Arndt – Played for the Maryland Bays of the ASL

In other fields

* Jim Sonefeld – Went on to become drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish.

Footnotes

References

External links

*

{{Sun Belt Conference men's soccer navbox

Soccer clubs in South Carolina
1978 establishments in South Carolina
Association football clubs established in 1978