JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 4, 2023) –?After coming up empty against two high-profile opponents, ETSU men's soccer looks to get back on the winning track against the USC Upstate Spartans. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium.  

THE MATCHUP  

ETSU (1-2-0) vs. USC Upstate (1-2-0) 

Tuesday, September 5 | 7 p.m. | Summers-Taylor Stadium | Live Stats 

• All ETSU men's soccer matches are free admission. 

ABOUT THE BUCS  

• ETSU looks to turn the page after a 2-1 loss to North Carolina on Friday. After taking the lead into halftime, the Bucs conceded a penalty and had a defensive miscue deflect off a UNC forward into their own net.
• Senior Gabriel Ramos (Sao Paulo, Brazil) scored in the 10th minute against the Tar Heels, his second goal of the season. Ramos is one of three players in the SoCon with multiple goals through three games.
• Goalkeeper Cole Hunter (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) is one of three SoCon goalkeepers with a shutout in 2023. Hunter blanked Georgia Southern in the season opener on August 24. He and goalkeeper Marc Kouadio (Montreal, Canada) have combined to concede the fewest goals in the SoCon (3) through three games.
• Friday's match saw the ETSU debuts of freshman forward Noah Franks (Charlotte, N.C.) and graduate center back Chris McKenna (Glasgow, Scotland). Franks arrives from Providence High School in Charlotte, while McKenna transferred to ETSU from the University of Mobile, where he started at center back for the NAIA national runners-up.
• ETSU is 2-0 in matches following a home loss under head coach David Lilly. 

ABOUT USC UPSTATE 

• USC Upstate dropped the second of three straight road games on Friday, 1-0 at Coastal Carolina. The Spartans conceded just before halftime and were unable to find an equalizer in the final 45 minutes.
• The Spartans' lone win in 2023 came in the season opener against North Florida on August 24. Freshman Jeremy Panaite scored five minutes into his college career to put the Spartans on top.
• USC Upstate is a veteran team at the back, with Preseason All-Big South selections Felipe Marty (31 career starts) and Julian Fernandez (34 career starts) among their defensive options. Fernandez has started all three matches for the Spartans while Marty has yet to appear this season.
• The Spartan attack features Preseason All-Big South pick Jeremy Montero, the team's top returning goal scorer from a year ago and career active leader with nine goals.
• USC Upstate was picked third in the Big South preseason poll, one of three teams to receive over 50 points in the voting. 

SERIES HISTORY 

• This is the eighth meeting between the Buccaneers and the Spartans. The Bucs have a 4-0-3 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams were in the ASUN together from 2008-2013.
• Tuesday's matchup marks the second meeting in the last decade between ETSU and USC Upstate, the return leg of a home-and-home series begun in 2022 with a 0-0 draw in Spartanburg.
• The last time the Bucs hosted the Spartans at Summers-Taylor Stadium was October 10, 2013, when Luis Calzadilla scored twice in 49 seconds to key a 4-1 rout for the Buccaneers. 

UP NEXT  

The Bucs visit a streaky but formidable UNC Wilmington team Saturday afternoon for a 1 p.m. kickoff. 

For more information on Buccaneer men's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's soccer tab.