Flames Head to USC Upstate for Non-conference Tilt
9/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The Liberty Flames (2-1) head to Spartanburg, S.C, for a match against the USC Upstate Spartans (1-0), Tuesday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at County University Stadium.
The contest will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2014, when the Flames and Spartans met on a neutral field, VMI's Patchin Field. During the Jay Sculley Memorial Tournament, Liberty defeated the Spartans, 3-1, on Sept. 14, 2014.
How to Follow the Flames
A free live video stream courtesy of the Atlantic Sun Network will be available by clicking the appropriate link on the schedule/results panel under men's soccer on LibertyFlames.com.
Live stats are available for Tuesday afternoon's contest by clicking the appropriate link on the men's soccer schedule/results panel of LibertyFlames.com.
A Look at Liberty
Liberty (2-1) will look to get back into the win column on Tuesday. The Flames fell to William & Mary, 2-0, at Osborne Stadium, dropping its first match of the season this past Friday.
After a well-played, tightly-contested, first half, Liberty had a player sent off due to his second yellow card early in the second half, Friday. Visiting William & Mary took advantage of the situation, scoring two goals midway through the second to hand the Flames their first loss of the season.
The Flames have outscored their opponents, 7-4, through their first three games of 2016. With three goals and had one assist for seven points in Liberty's 5-2 win over VMI, last Tuesday, midfielder Jovanni Chavez leads Liberty in points and goals. Midfielder Tresor Mbuyu has also scored two goals for the Flames.
Senior transfer Martin Agredo, midfielder Kevin Mendoza and forward Rigoberto Rojas have two assists apiece to lead the Flames through three games.
Goalkeeper James Knoebel has played all 270 minutes between the posts for Liberty this season. Knoebel has posted a 1.33 goals-against average and a .733 save percentage.
Head Coach Jeff Alder, a Liberty alum, is in his 16th season of leading the Flames. Liberty is 146-112-23 during his tenure.
A Look at USC Upstate
USC Upstate (1-0) opened its regular season on August 29 with a 1-0 victory at home over Presbyterian. Midfielder Cam Philpot's first career goal in the 18th minute proved to be the game-winner for the Spartans.
Upstate goalkeeper Santiago Restrespo recorded his first career shutout in the contest. The freshman made two saves in this collegiate debut.
Tuesday will be the second of three home games for the Spartans to open the 2016 season. Upstate will close out the stretch against another Big South opponent Gardner-Webb on Saturday.
The Spartans returned five starters from last season and were picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun conference in 2016.
Dr. Greg Hooks is in his 22nd year at USC Upstate. Hooks has led the Spartans to a 218-139-32 record during his tenure.
The Series
USC Upstate and Liberty will be meeting for the third time on the pitch, Tuesday. The all-time series is tied at 1-1. The Flames win came in the two teams' last meeting in 2014, while the Spartans victory was in 1980.
USC Upstate will be the only member of the Atlantic Sun the Flames will play this season.
Flames News and Notes
- Tuesday's game will be the second road game of the season for the Jeff Alder's team. The Flames defeated VMI, 5-2, in their first road match of 2016, last Tuesday.
- Midfielder Jovanni Chavez collected seven points, scoring three goals and assisting on another in Liberty's 5-2 win over VMI, this past Tuesday. Chavez's point total is the most by a Flame since Darren Amoo scored eight points with four goals in a 7-0 victory over Southern Virginia on Oct. 22, 2010. In addition, it was the first time since Sept. 20, 2011 that a Liberty player has scored three goals in a match. Travis Joseph scored three markers in the win over 9-0 Southern Virginia.
- The Flames have six newcomers in their starting "11" and 14 new faces on its 2016 roster.
A Look Ahead
Liberty returns home for its first-ever meeting against Buffalo, Sunday. The Flames and Bulls will get underway at Osborne Stadium at Noon.
The contest will be the first of two soccer matches at the stadium, Sunday. The Liberty Lady Flames will host the George Washington Colonials, following the men's game at 4 p.m.
