GSU looks to bounce back

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Trevor McNaboe

The 2013 season for Georgia Southern University men’s soccer team (4-5, SoCon 0-1) has been a rollercoaster.

GSU looks to break the trend of its frequent ups and downs as it takes on the Wofford College Terriers (5-3-1) this Saturday at home.

The Eagles have played inconsistently all year. However, as they sit 4-5 (0-1 SoCon), they have won more games through the halfway point than at the same point last season (2-7).

The last time both teams faced off was late October, with GSU winning on the road 1-0, despite being outshot and having fewer corner kicks.

The Eagles have won the past two matchups against the Terriers, dating back to 2010, and have not lost at Eagle Field since 2009.

The Terriers come into this match sporting a record of 5-3-1 and are on a five-game winning streak. One positive for the Eagles is that WC is 1-3-1 in games away from the friendly confines of Spartanburg.

Both teams have played similar opponents in Davidson College, Winthrop University and Gardner-Webb University, with both losing to WU by a score of 2-1.

However, the Terriers beat DC by a score of 2-1, while the Eagles fell by that score to the Wildcats.

WC has scored 19 goals on the season with 13 coming in the second half of games.

The catalyst behind the Terriers winning streak has been sophomore defender Connor Davis. Davis currently leads the team with seven goals and 17 points.

Senior defender Billy Padula provides experience to the Terriers as he has started every game in his four-year career. Padula currently leads the team in assists with six on the season.

The Eagles will need to have a good performance from their defense in order to defeat the Terriers.

Offensively, GSU has three players that have been the fixture for its o ffense. Senior midfielder Hunter Norton, senior forward Witt Carlisle and sophomore forward Eric Dinka have combined for nine goals and three assists.

Despite this, the Eagles have been stagnant on offense scoring a meager 1.33 goals per game.

The key matchup of the game will be the defense of GSU, which allows an average of 1.22 goals per game this season and the offense of WC, which averages 2.11 goals a game.

The Eagles are going into the third of four straight home games and will play the Terriers on Saturday at 7 p.m.