[ad_1]
Momentum is building for South Carolina men’s soccer. The Gamecocks went 10-5-2 season last year, and now they’re looking to take the next step.
“Last year we made big steps forward,” said fifth year head coach Tony Annan. “The squad was good, and we had a double-digit win season, which we hadn’t had in a long time. In the offseason the strategy was not only to retain the players that got us that ten-win season but then add to that squad with depth.
“We hit the transfer portal hard. We feel like we have a stronger squad and a deeper squad. We feel like we’re in a good place.”
“Last season showed us what we’re capable of doing,” said junior midfielder Mika Habel, who returns after only playing four matches last year due to injury but was selected as a captain to run the offseason training. “We had some injuries last year, including myself. Depth is important, and we have that this year.”
The Gamecocks were particularly tough at home last year with a 7-2-2 record at Stone Stadium and led the nation in attendance for third straight year. The Gamecocks return 15 players from last year and brought in 14 newcomers. Headlining the list of returnees are senior Ethan Ballek, who was a Second Team All-Region honoree after leading the Gamecocks with 23 points last year on nine goals and five assists, and junior midfielder Jonah Biggar, who tallied a goal and four assists. Both were selected in the third round of the 2025 MLS draft by Nashville SC and D.C. United, respectively.
“It was very surreal to get drafted,” said Ballek, who is studying finance and is on pace to graduate in December before MLS training camps begin after the new year. “It has always been a dream of mine. School is very important to me. I’m about one semester out, so I wanted to come back. I love playing for this team, and I’m excited to finish out my degree. So, I’ll do my best here before I go out there to Nashville. I have a lot of things I can work on with my game to prepare myself for that, so I’m not looking too far ahead.”
“Having professional level talent in the program helps in certain ways and can also be a distraction,” said Annan, who also noted that he liked the maturity of his players so there won’t be those distractions. “It helps that we are now producing guys who can go on to the pro level. That brings more talent that wants to do the same. Hopefully, those guys lead by example.”
Sophomore Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez also returns after tallying four goals and five assists to earn Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
Annan will use his early exhibition matches to evaluate which combinations work the best together, but he is confident in the abilities of his latest recruiting class.
“Everybody we brought in this year from the portal or freshmen or international, I think all of them are capable playing,” Annan said. “From what we’ve observed, everybody can participate for us, which would be the best thing for the squad. Playing 17 games in such a short period of time, it’s tough for any player to place twice per week and give their maximum ability. Hopefully, everybody can participate and get minutes.
“As far as impact players, you can talk about (senior transfer forward) Tyler Trimnal who has won national championships with Clemson. Great experience, but nothing is guaranteed. He’s willing to work. (Senior transfer) Alexander Stjernegaard, a midfielder from Marshall, has been to the Final Four and has a great pedigree. There are some big names with big talent, but at the end of the day they’re going to have to adapt to a new system. It’s up to them to earn their spots.”
“I think the depth will help us a lot,” Ballek said. “I know that I, as well as some other guys, had little nagging injuries last year, so I know if I had a little more time on the bench it would have helped me as we went deeper in the season. It’s going to help a lot to have some new guys step in and make that impact so we can hopefully make a (NCAA) tournament run and win some more games. I really enjoy all the new guys.”
Annan knows there isn’t a lot of time to build chemistry, so they always have to move fast in August.
“It is the toughest part to get them to gel as quickly as possible,” Annan said. “There are lots of different personalities and guys that have had success at other programs. Hopefully with that experience and maturity, they can get together quickly because they understand what being together does for the team. In our recruitment, the character piece and the personality piece have been really important.”
As the 2025 season kicks off soon, the Gamecocks are excited about the potential to build on last year’s success.
“I really care about this team, and the goal has always been to turn things around,” said Habel. “We’ve made steps. Last year was a breakthrough year. I believe in it. I would do anything for this team. If I can inspire others to do the same, then that will take us pretty far. I’m extremely happy with what I’ve seen so far.”
“We just need to be consistent,” Annan said. “I’m excited for this season. I think we have our most talented group since I’ve been here. Going back-to-back with double digits (wins) is just one of our goals. We’d like to do more than just do that.”
The Gamecocks host an exhibition game against Wofford on Saturday, August 16 at 7 p.m. before opening the 2025 regular season at College of Charleston on Thursday, August 21. Check out the full schedule here.
[ad_2]
Source link
