WHO: #13 Old Dominion (7-0) vs #4 South Carolina (6-0)
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 18 – 7 p.m. EST
WHERE: Norfolk, Va. / ODU Soccer Complex
LAST MEETING: Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 – ODU 1-1 USC
STREAM: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Click Here
NORFOLK, Va. - #13 Old Dominion men’s soccer hosts #4 South Carolina for a Top 15 matchup at the ODU Soccer Complex on Friday, September 18 at 7 p.m. for the first game of Sun Belt Conference action. The Monarchs and the Gamecocks are two of the remaining three teams left in Division I that have remained perfect.
ODU’s game against the Gamecocks will be streamed to ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
LAST MEETING:
The Monarchs drew to South Carolina on Friday, October 10, 1-1 in Columbia last season. Old Dominion struck first from Lewis Rourke in the 25th minute thanks to an assist by Teagan Dunne. But, the Gamecocks would respond three minutes later in the 28th with a solo goal from Alexander Stjernegaard. Neither side could find a goal in the second half as the game finished level.
ABOUT ODU:
The Silver and Blue under third year head coach Tennant McVea have gotten off to a 7-0 start in its non-conference schedule and are one of only three teams in the nation to have a 100% win percentage. ODU has had 12 different goalscorers and has outscored its opponents, 27-7 and has scored 5+ goals on three occasions.
Old Dominion’s +20-goal differential and scoring offense (3.86) are both ranked best in Division I. The Monarchs’ 27 goals rank second and their points per game (11.0) rank third in the country, respectively. The Silver and Blue rank second in the country in total points (77), are tied for third in total assists (23), and rank fourth in shots on goal per game (8.86).
Lewis Rourke leads the Monarchs in points (15), goals (6), and is tied for first in assists (3). His form to start the season has put him near the top of the national leaderboards. The Nottingham, England native is tied for third in the country in total points (15), tied for fifth in goals (6), tied for 24th in shots on goal per game (1.71), and tied for 37th in total assists (3). Rourke’s six goals are ranked best in the Sun Belt and he was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week on September 8, 2026.
Jason Purks ranks second on the Monarchs in total points (11) and goals scored (4). The Oakwood, Ohio native’s 11 points are good for 18th, his four goals is tied for 26th, and his three assists are tied with Rourke for 37th in the nation. Purks has taken two penalty kicks and converted both for a 100% success rate to rank tied for first in Division I.
Fifth year transfer David Chapman has gotten off to a strong start as a leader in the back line. The 6-4 defender is an aerial threat on set pieces and has scored three goals. He has also chipped in two assists to tally eight total points to rank tied for third on the Monarchs. He and Micah Wayland are both tied for seventh in the Sun Belt in goals scored and his eight points are tied for 10th in the conference. Defender Ludovico Vicini has provided three assists and scored one goal, his three assists are tied for 37th in the nation.
Second year goalkeeper Alexander Aguilar has provided two assists and has logged 630 minutes in net to rank tied for second in the nation. Aguilar has recorded two clean sheets this season to rank 35th in Division I.
ABOUT USC:
The Gamecocks are 6-0 and are coming off a 1-0 win over UNC Greensboro in Columbia, South Carolina last Friday. The Gamecocks have defeated three ranked teams through six games. USC defeated #16 Clemson, 3-2, #25 Charlotte, 2-1, and #14 High Point, 2-0. South Carolina is led by head coach Tony Annan in his sixth season at the helm.
Angel Lopez leads the Gamecocks with nine points from three goals and three assists to rank first on the team. Mika Habel and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez have both contributed eight points from three goals and two assists to tie for second. Loic Sany Kong rounds out the Gamecocks’ points leaders with seven from three goals and one assist. Habel has provided four assists to rank first in the Sun Belt and Lopez’s nine points are tied for sixth in the conference.
As a team, South Carolina has scored 16 goals and only conceded four for a +12-goal differential. The four goals the Gamecocks conceded are tied with UCF for the best in the conference The Gamecocks average 13.2 shots per game while holding their opponents to 10 per game. South Carolina has committed 22 yellow card offences in their first six games and averages 3.6 yellow cards shown to them per game. South Carolina has a -11-corner differential, they have conceded 40 corner kick attempts while only delivering 29 of their own into the box.
UP NEXT:
The Monarchs host William & Mary on Tuesday, September 22 at 6 p.m. at the ODU Soccer Complex. The Silver and Blue continue Sun Belt play on Sunday at Georgia Southern at 7 p.m.