Winthrop men’s soccer will close its regular season Saturday with a Big South Conference matchup against USC Upstate in Spartanburg.
The Eagles (5-8-3, 2-3-1 Big South) will face the Spartans (5-11, 3-3) at 2 p.m. at County University Soccer Stadium. The game carries conference standings implications, with Winthrop sitting sixth with seven points and USC Upstate fifth with nine.
Winthrop enters the finale following a 1-1 draw against Gardner-Webb. Goalkeeper Kevin Christensen matched his career high with eight saves, while freshman Teo Jelaca earned Big South Freshman of the Week honors after scoring in consecutive matches against Virginia Tech and Gardner-Webb.
The Eagles are looking to build on a series history that favors Winthrop, which holds an 11-10-2 advantage in the all-time matchup. Winthrop defeated USC Upstate 2-0 in Spartanburg in 2024, but the Spartans won last season’s meeting 3-0 in Rock Hill.
Winthrop’s offense is led by Jorge Perez and Juma Baden, who are tied with eight goals apiece. Baden also leads the team in points per game.
Saturday’s match will be the 24th meeting between the programs. Live coverage will be available through ESPN+.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
