Monday, August 25, 2014

2014 USC Salkehatchie men's and women's soccer media guides on sale now!!!

The 2014 USC Salkehatchie men's and women's soccer media guide is now on sale. The guides cost $10.00 and you can get yours by contacting Trent Kinard at Tkinard@mailbox.sc.edu .  
The guides will also be available at all home games!
Be sure to get yours today!!

USC Salkehatchie vs USC Beaufort JV- soccer match scheduled for Wednesday August 27th has been cancelled~

The USC Salkehatchie women's soccer match vs USC Beaufort JV scheduled for Wednesday August 27st at 5:00 pm has been cancelled. This match will not be rescheduled since it was an exhibition.

Former Indian soccer player Kane Pierce helps Hobart will Victory League Championship for record 7th time

Kane and his South Hobart Soccer Team-Australia won the Victory League Championship for a record 7th time! 
Kane is pictured in orange jersey.

Nate Drayton Former USC Salkehatchie Indian - working out in Paraná for the summer

Nate Drayton working out this summer. Nate is playing pro basketball in Brazil.




Kalacanic signs with USC Salkehatchie

Christian Kalacanic has the grades to go to the college of his choice, so he chose one where he can play ball, that being USC Salkehatchie.
Click to read the full story courtesy of Roger Lee/ Journal Scene

Click here to read about Kalacanic signing with USC Salkehatchie 


Thursday, August 7, 2014

USC SALKEHATCHIE 2014 WOMEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW

Things just keep getting tougher for women’s soccer in NJCAA Region X. The level of competition is heating up more every year. Over the last couple of seasons the Indians have just not kept up. “We have had a hard time over the last couple years fielding a balanced team,” according to USC Salkehatchie Head Soccer Coach Bill Glass. “Our defense has been strong but we are not scoring enough goals.” This has led to the team getting knocked out of the Region X soccer tournament two years running after at least making it on to the semi’s several years in a row.
 

Like many soccer coaches, Glass chooses to build his team from the back, and that means oftentimes the best players on the team are put into the defense even if they are also the best attacking players on the team. In order to address this issue, Glass, along with Assistant Coach Brandon Woods, worked on recruiting several high level dedicated defenders to the team during the off season. This way the coaches will not have to take strong players out of the attack in order to shore up the defense. Finding good defenders is not easy because players from a young age are attracted more to attacking than defending. However, as of this writing it looks like the recruiting strategy has a good chance of paying off. Not only did the coaches sign several strong defenders during the off season, but they also were able to recruit well for the midfield and forward positions. The result portends to be a more balanced squad for 2014.
One thing will not change this year and that is the emphasis on quickly getting the ball back anytime the opponent has it. The Indians play a team defense with everyone on the field involved in the effort, not just the backs. “It is a high pressure defense meant to limit the amount of time and space our opponent has to work with,” according to Glass. Early pressure often leads to tackling opportunities. Thus, while the Salkehatchie players are taught to strictly play the ball and not the man, this approach leads to a lot of physical contact. Most of the teams in Region X play the same way and the players are accustomed to it, so they usually don’t overreact when they are on the receiving end of a hard challenge.
 

The Indians defense will be happy to have several key players returning including last’s years starting goalkeeper and team MVP Chelsee Wright of Upatoi, GA. Shannah Barrow of Screven, GA, will also plan to resume her starting position as outside back/wing. Charlie Taylor of Sylvania, GA, started in central defense for the Indians 2013 edition and will be back for the 2014 campaign. Neichie Etienne of North Lauderdale, FL, is a utility player who is effective playing anywhere. Last year she played mostly in the back, this year Glass would like to see Neichie more in an attacking midfield role. Kenesha Roberts of Lauderdale Lakes, FL, and NiAundai Hollins of Columbia, SC, played up top for Salkehatchie last season and scored some critical goals for the team, so Glass is very happy to see both of them back.
The Indians will be welcoming a strong class of recruits to the team this fall. Coming in to the central defense will be center backs Leah Kingwood from Coral Springs, FL, and Dallas Boulware of Columbia, SC. They will be working closely with sweeper Balbina Ramos of Athens, GA. Daira Anastacio and Twakell Ferguson, both of North Charleston, SC, will be splitting time between the backline and the midfield. Also working to control the midfield will be Ana Grace Catoe of Heath Springs, SC, and Breanna King of Jonesboro, GA. The 2014 Indians will also add several players to join sophomores Roberts and Hollins in the attack. Forwards Jerica Jessica Washington of West Columbia, SC, Shanquetta Morgan of Columbia, SC, and Dina Stagg of Trenton, GA, will all be eager to put the ball in the back of the opponents net. Katie Heywood from O’Sullivan Beach in South Australia will see action in an attacking midfield role looking to record some assists while finishing off a few goals herself. Glass is also very pleased to have Destinee Lanier of Statesboro, GA, and Ashley Moore of Riverdale, GA, coming in to provide much needed depth to the goalkeeper position. “Balance is critical for a team,” he says, “but it is nothing without depth. This year it looks like we are going to have both.”
 

As the summer dwindles away and the first day of training approaches, the Indians women are diligently working the summer conditioning program they were given back in May. Bright and early on Monday, August 4, they will be given the chance to take a fitness test to show how well they have done getting physically ready for the season. Just 7 days later, they will lace on their boots to face Middle Georgia State College. The game kicks off at 7pm in Cochran, GA, on Monday, August 11. Later that week, the Indians will travel to Franklin Springs, GA, for a friendly with Emmanuel College set for 6pm on Saturday, August 16. On Thursday, August 21 at 3pm, the team is scheduled to play at Mount Olive College, NC, and then on Wednesday, August 27, at 3pm, they will play their first regular season match at USC Beaufort JV. The team’s first region match will be at Wake Tech in Raleigh, NC, with kick off set for 2pm. The Indians will play their first home game on Thursday, September 3, at 5pm, when they host USC Lancaster at the Salkehatchie home field on the Allendale campus. Last year’s version of the Indian’s earned the respect of opponents by combining good sportsmanship with aggressive play. This year, by finishing off a few more scoring opportunities, the team will be in a position to not only earn respect, but to dramatically increase the number of W’s. “The key for this team, with all these new players coming in, will be team unity, how the players bond,” according to Glass. “I am confident that these players are determined to have a winning season and will all work together to make it happen.”

USC SALKEHATCHIE 2014 MEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW

The word is out on USC Salkehatchie soccer and that word is – “the Indians are for real!” That’s because the team has posted winning records now for each of the last three years. The Indians have also played and won some very exciting matches against prominent in-state opponents recently and those results have not gone unnoticed by the South Carolina soccer community. What this all means is that many of the state’s standout soccer players are now giving Salk a look when it comes time to start making their college plans. This year, several of the state’s top players have progressed beyond being interested and gone ahead and committed to wear the garnet & gold when the college soccer season rolls around this fall. “We have the strongest group of recruits we have ever had from South Carolina this year,” according to USC Salkehatchie Head Soccer Coach Bill Glass. “If they will come in here with the right attitude, I am confident that we will be able to help them along with their soccer careers.” The local boys will quickly find what others have found before them: college soccer is fast and it is physical. That means the two-a-day practices which will be starting up shortly on the Allendale campus will be intense. “We will lose 2 or 3 guys the first week if past history is any predictor,” says Glass, “not because of cuts but because they will decide on their own that college soccer is not for them.” For many of the new recruits this will be the first time they have been thrown in with high level international players. 


The motto of these players is “play hard in training if you want to play hard in matches.” Coach Glass believes that the ball is the best teacher and that the best way to develop players is to give them the chance to hone their game against other advanced players. “I like to transition into match conditions early on in every training session,” says Glass. “This means that we are playing a lot of soccer every day during pre-season.” Of course this approach to preseason practices requires that the players report to training in good condition. If fitness test results indicate otherwise, Glass has been known to lock up the soccer balls and focus only on conditioning for the first couple weeks of training.
 

Preseason training will begin soon and the USC Salkehatchie staff is looking forward to greeting all the incoming student athletes who will liven up the campus after the long summer break. Midfielders Penn Jean Baptiste and Ricardo Foster along with defender Wayne Warsop will be returning to Allendale from their home in South Florida after starting for the team during the 2013 campaign. New players coming up from South Florida include defenders Samson Metelus, Davin Christian and Fritz Richards along with midfielder John Elisee. Junior Humes a midfielder from Middleburg will come to Salkehatchie from the northern part of the Sunshine State. Florida will not be the only southern state providing student athletes for the Indians soccer team. Hinesville, Georgia, will contribute defender Nathaniel Hart while forward, Chris Churchill, will come to the team from Huntsville, Alabama. On the international front, Coach Glass will once again rely on the recommendations of several coaches in Jamaica. This year, striker Tevin Daley and defender Shemar Muirhead will be joining returning defender Dave Stone on the team. All three are from Westmoreland. Goalkeeper Richard Trench of Hanover will round out the Jamaican contingent on the squad.
As would be expected most of the Indians will hail from the Palmetto state. Forward Michael Hazel of Brunson and defender Joshua Witt of Cassat will be returning for their second season at Salk. New additions to the squad will include forwards Tyler Brazell of Leesville and Adam Hicks of Lexington, along with defenders Joshua Gochett of Elgin and Giancarlo Lagombra of Columbia. Midfielders Tre Douglas of Columbia, Luis Lemus of North Charleston, Jonathan Salinas of Leesville, and Alex Santoyo of Lexington will also be coming in new for 2014. In addition to Glass, the coaching staff will see former USC Aiken player and current USC Salkehatchie Director of Recruiting Joey Hughes return for his third year as Assistant Soccer Coach. He will be joined by Brandon Woods who will be the team’s goalkeeper coach. Woods was starting goalkeeper for the Indians last year.
 

The new and returning players are determined to make the most of their time at Salk. They know that junior college has served as a springboard for many successful academic and athletic careers. USC Salkehatchie competes in Division I of the national junior college athletic association and many junior college soccer teams are loaded with D-I and D-II caliber players. So it is not surprising that scouts from NCAA college teams look to junior colleges for high level soccer players as transfers. A good way to tell how the Salkehatchie soccer program is progressing is to look at how many Indians alumni are being recruited to play at 4-year colleges. “At this point we have a solid track record of sending guys on to play at the next level,” according to Glass. “What is sad is to think of how much better that record would be if our soccer players would work as hard on their academics as they do on their soccer skills.” Unfortunately every year the team loses a star player or two because of poor grades. The NCAA coaches who have been following those players are then faced with the reality that these prospects are just not ever going to be academically eligible. That is a key reason why the Salkehatchie soccer program emphasizes the importance of academics and encourages team members to see themselves as students first and athletes second. Being successful as a college soccer player requires success in the classroom.
 

Preseason training begins on August 4th when the team will have a scant 7 days to prepare for their first exhibition match. The game at Middle Georgia State College kicks off at 5pm in Cochran, GA, on Monday, August 11. Later that week, the Indians will travel to Franklin Springs, GA, for a friendly with Emmanuel College set for 4pm on Saturday, August 16. On Thursday, August 21 at 5pm, the team is scheduled to play at Mount Olive College, NC, and then on Monday, August 25, the boys will scrimmage Georgia Southern University at 7pm in Statesboro, GA. The team’s first regular season match will be at Wake Tech in Raleigh, NC, with kick off set for 4pm. The Indians will play their first home game on Thursday, September 3, at 3pm, when they host USC Lancaster at their home field on the Allendale

Ismail Howard Signs with Thomas University

USC Salkehatchie’s Ismail Howard a 6’3 guard from Columbia, SC will continue  his education and basketball career at Thomas University in Thomasville, GA.  The NAIA Night Hawks compete in the Sun Conference.  Congratulations Ismail!!!

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Former Indian basketball standout headed to UAB

It has been confirmed that Denzel Collins, a 6-foot-2 point guard from USC Salkehatchie, verbally committed to the University of Alabama Birmingham Sunday.  Collins will join a very talented NCAA Division I program.   The Blazers compete in Conference USA.  So it’s True—-Good Things Do Come, To Those That Wait…….Congratulations Denzel.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Hooks headed to Lees-McRae

Dominique Hooks is a transfer from the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie. 
During his time there, he was the senator for West Campus Student Government Association. The Moncks Corner, S.C., native was the recipient of the LIFE academic scholarship, twice, while being awarded the Scurry Foundation academic scholarship as a sophomore. He worked as a tutor and mentor for elementary school children.
Prior to USC-Salkehatchie, Hooks graduated from Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner, S.C. He was the first male player in school history to be awarded a college soccer scholarship. He was a four-year starter while leading the team in scoring and assists as a junior and senior.
“Dom is comfortable on the ball and does the simple things well,” said Squires. “He will add experience to our roster coming in as a junior and is versatile enough to play at the back or in midfield, adding depth to our squad.”
Hooks is a member of the Goose Creek United club team.
He is the son of David and Angela Hooks. He has an older brother, David Jr. and an older sister, Noelle. He intends on majoring in Criminal Justice.
“I chose LMC because of the reputation with its academic and athletic departments. The facilities and campus are really nice and I like the small campus feel,” spoke Hooks. “I also chose LMC because coach Squires came from the LMC program. He has a vision for success that will make each one of us on the team better players and students.”
Courtesy of  http://lmcbobcats.com/