After its best season in nearly a decade, the South Carolina men's soccer team is aiming to bring positive momentum into 2025.
Tony Annan is the second head coach in the history of the South Carolina men’s soccer program. When he got the job, he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy one.
The previous head coach, Mark Berson, had been in charge since the Gamecocks’ first season in 1978. South Carolina won two conference titles and made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the College Cup Final in 1993, during Berson’s tenure.
Annan envisioned South Carolina becoming a successful team in the long run, which resulted in some short-term growing pains. The Gamecocks won just five games during Annan’s first season in 2021. The next two — during which his teams earned five and six victories, respectively — didn’t bring much more success.
However, in 2024, things started to fall into place.
South Carolina put together a 10-5-2 (W-L-T) record, winning more games in a single year than it had since 2016. The Gamecocks began the season on a six-game unbeaten run, which included a 2-2 tie against Clemson that ended their 10-game losing streak to the Tigers. Two of the team’s starters, forward Ethan Ballek and midfielder Jonah Biggar, were selected in the third round of the most recent MLS SuperDraft.
Fast forward to 2025, and both Ballek (a senior) and Biggar (a junior) have returned after opting not to sign professional contracts. South Carolina’s roster has been further replenished with talent from the transfer portal and the high-school ranks. And the Gamecocks, under Annan’s tutelage, are looking to sustain their positive momentum from last season and carry it into the upcoming season.
The 2025 campaign will begin on Thursday, when South Carolina takes on the College of Charleston. The match, which is on the road, will be made available for streaming on FloSports.
2025 preseason polls and accolades
The Sun Belt Conference released its 2025 preseason coaches poll on Wednesday. The Gamecocks found themselves in the top half of the projected standings; in fact, they were in the same spot they finished last year. South Carolina is predicted to finish fifth in the conference this season, behind Marshall, West Virginia, UCF and Kentucky.
The Gamecocks did not get any love at the national level, however, as they didn’t receive any votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The rankings include two Sun Belt squads: Marshall (No. 2) and West Virginia (No. 16).
As far as individual accolades go, several Gamecocks received them from both the Sun Belt and United Soccer Coaches.
South Carolina landed three players on the Preseason All-Sun Belt team, tied for the most of any program: Ballek, senior midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard and sophomore midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez. United Soccer Coaches also listed Ballek and Stjernegaard as forwards and midfielders, respectively, to watch in 2025.
Three returning players to watch
Ethan Ballek – Ballek returns to the Gamecocks as last year’s leader in points (23). An All-Sun Belt Second Teamer, he started all 17 of South Carolina’s games, scoring nine goals and dishing out five assists across 1,318 minutes after transferring in from Virginia Tech. Nashville SC selected Ballek with the No. 66 overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez – Of the Gamecocks’ class of 2024 freshmen, Velazquez-Lopez had the most tangible impact on the team’s success. He was one of three South Carolina players to accumulate double-digit points (13) last season. Velazquez-Lopez logged 1,119 minutes across 17 starts, accumulating four goals and five assists on his way to All-Sun Belt Second Team honors.
Jonah Biggar – Biggar served as a steady presence in the Gamecocks’ midfield last season, playing all 90 minutes in 12 of the 16 games he started. He led the team in minutes played (1,390) in 2024, scoring one goal and providing four assists. D.C. United selected Biggar with the No. 77 overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.
Three newcomers to watch
Alexander Stjernegaard – Stjernegaard joins South Carolina from Marshall, which fell to Vermont in extra time of last year’s national championship game. He finished tied for second on the team in assists (4) and, with two additional goals, finished fifth on the team in points (13). Stjernegaard started 17 of the Thundering Herd’s 20 games in 2024, logging 1,326 minutes on the pitch.
Tyler Trimnal – Trimnal is one of two players to cross the Palmetto State divide this offseason. A member of the Clemson team that won both a conference and national title in 2023, he appeared in 20 matches (including 12 starts) in 2024, scoring six goals and providing four assists across 1,248 minutes. The senior forward also played for a Vermont Green FC side that won a USL League Two championship this past summer.
Loïc Sany Kong – Like Stjernegaard, Sany Kong spent the 2024 season at Marshall. Sany Kong, a sophomore forward, made 19 appearances (including 10 starts) for the Thundering Herd last year, recording two goals and three assists in 860 minutes played. He scored his first collegiate goal in a game against Loyola-Maryland on Sept. 2.
Three important games on 2025 schedule
Aug. 26, away at Clemson – The Gamecocks broke one streak in their last game against the Tigers. Now, South Carolina will be looking to record its first win against Clemson since 2014 in its second match of the season. This game will air at 7 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Oct. 4, home vs. UCF – Last year’s match against the Knights wasn’t competitive, as the Gamecocks fell 4-0 on the road. But just two seasons ago, a South Carolina-UCF matchup gave the former one of its biggest wins in recent memory, as the Gamecocks defeated the Knights (while they were the No. 1 team in the country) in the opening round of the Sun Belt Tournament. This year’s game will air at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
Oct. 22, away at Marshall – South Carolina will get its first crack at the 2024 national championship finalists in late October. The match will also serve as a homecoming for Stjernegaard and Sany Kong, who will be visitors at Hoops Family Stadium for the first time in their careers. This game will air at 7 p.m. on the ACC Network.
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Category: General Sports
