South Carolina lost six of its 11 starters off a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament team last season and the people close to the program felt that 2011 could be a rebuilding season.
Sophomore Bradlee Baladez has seven goals and five assists for the Gamecocks this season.
With one of the most challenging schedules in the country, it would be difficult for the Gamecocks to succeed early on, but the hope was to get a little bit better each week, peak during conference play, and have a good enough record to make it back to the NCAAs.
Mission accomplished.
The Gamecocks (9-7-2) were one of 48 teams selected to the NCAA Tournament and will host Wake Forest tonight at 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium. After a rocky start to the season, South Carolina didn’t look like it had the makings of a tournament team, much less a host site.
Sure, the goal was to win each of the early games but those in the program knew it was going to be a struggle early in the season.
“I think this team knew all along that we were going to face an uphill battle this year,” head coach Mark Berson, in his 34th season with the Gamecocks, said. “Started out a little bit slowly but the guys never doubted themselves, never wavered, and worked extremely hard. They found ways to win games.”
The Gamecocks suffered humbling 3-2 and 2-0 defeats at College of Charleston and Clemson and narrowly escaped with a 2-1 home victory against Charlotte to begin the season. The hosts of the Dartmouth Classic defeated USC and Bradley earned a tie in the tournament in Hanover, N.H.
The following weekend in the Gamecock Classic, Brown defeated the hosts 2-0 in a game that South Carolina rarely threatened. After six games, the record was 1-4-1 and it was an ugly start to the season.
“The beginning was a little bit of a struggle because of all the young players we had, trying to get everyone on the same page,” captain Stephen Morrissey said. “Once everything started clicking, we were able to get on a roll. It was about that time we all knew we could be good this year and we expected to do well.”
Former goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer was one of three key pieces to South Carolina's defense lost after 2010's Sweet 16 run.
With the loss of so many veteran players, the Gamecocks have turned to a battalion of young players and first-time starters. There are some key upperclassmen as well but it took the team some time to come together.
It didn’t happen quickly but once it did, the team turned things around. The Gamecocks earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over High Point to finish up the Gamecock Classic and, after a regular season match with Wake Forest was canceled, Conference USA play began.
First up on the docket was a road trip to Memphis. The Gamecocks found themselves down 2-0 after an hour of play but the team didn’t give up. It was at that time, things really began to click.
South Carolina scored three goals over the final 18 minutes to escape with a 3-2 victory and start C-USA play with three points.
“The beginning of the year, we lost a lot of games we felt like we shouldn’t have lost,” captain Vance Benson said. “When we beat Memphis, we played awful all games. In the last 20 minutes, we scored three goals and that just doesn’t happen very often. We realized we could do something after that; we started to believe after that.”
The only Conference USA game that South Carolina would lose all season was at home against SMU, a 3-2 overtime affair that featured a pair of questionable calls that led to a late equalizing penalty kick and overtime goal.
“We started out slow, but we had so many new players coming in,” freshman Braeden Troyer said. “In practice, we were doing well but we weren’t getting results in games. I always felt like there was something there, but once we started getting wins, I knew we were going to have a good season.”
In its first six games, South Carolina allowed 11 goals. The season started with two new center backs, Eric Martinez and Kevin Stam, as well as a new goalkeeper, Alex Long. All three are juniors but all three were new starters.
A 4-0 loss to North Carolina aside, the Gamecocks have played much better defensively.
The attack has been anchored by sophomore Bradlee Baladez, who has seven goals and five assists on the season. Troyer, who plays a holding midfield role, is second on the team with five goals. Four of the top seven players in points are underclassmen.
“We recruited the last two classes knowing that we needed to bring in some players that could make an immediate impact on the field,” recruiting coordinator Bert Molinary said. “In the last two classes, we’ve landed some of the top players in the area and nationally as well as a few hidden gems that have come in and played a big role in where we are today.”
The next step in South Carolina’s season, which went from a rebuilding year to one with hopes of an NCAA Tournament run, is the Demon Deacons (8-7-4). Wake Forest is a national soccer power that has struggled by their lofty standards the last two seasons.
It doesn’t mean that the Gamecocks will have an easy first-round win against the typical ACC power but Berson’s club is accustomed to what they have to face. South Carolina has played three ACC teams already this season, has one of the nation’s toughest schedules and finished No. 19 in the final RPI.
“They’ve had a grind-it-out year like we have,” Berson said of Wake Forest. “They’re a tremendous team. They went to three straight Final Fours until last year when they didn’t make the tournament. This year, they’re back and they’re a quality opponent.”
The winner of tonight’s game will travel to No. 14 seed James Madison for a contest on Sunday at 5 p.m.
At the beginning of the season, it didn’t seem as though South Carolina would have that chance. Now, it’s right at their fingertips.
“I’m really proud at what this group has accomplished,” Berson said. “They believe in themselves and they’ll be ready to go.
“(Wake Forest) is battle-tested and from a great league. That’s OK. We’ve played great teams all year, so we’re ready. Wake Forest will be ready, too, so it will be a great game.”
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