The Marshall University men’s soccer team fell 2-1 to the University of South Carolina Friday in a rain-soaked game at Hoops Family Field in Huntington.

The rain came down hard during the first half of play, but it subsided during the second half.  The wet field played a factor in the first half with some of the passes, but the teams were able to adapt and use the clear conditions in the second half to make more plays.

“I think the conditions in the second half helped us a little bit,” Marshall’s junior midfielder Trevor Starcher said. “We played really well, probably our best game of the year, but we just need to find a way to put the ball in the back of the net.”

The Herd and the Gamecocks came out firing to start the game as South Carolina opened the game with two corner kicks, which Marshall cleared away.

Marshall senior midfielder Ryan Forde took a shot in the 11th minute, but it was blocked by the Gamecock defense.

However, the scoreless tie was broken in the 12th minute when South Carolina forward Kevin Walker headed a ball past Marshall goaltender Bijon Gloston to make it 1-0. The goal was Walker’s fourth of the season and was set up by a chip pass from junior midfielder Kurtis Turner.

At the start of the second half, the Herd responded with seven shots on the Gamecocks’ goal. Marshall finally tied the game in the 65th minute when junior forward Rimario Gordon scored off a rebound-save by South Carolina goaltender William Pyle.

Pyle saved the initial shot taken by Forde, but Gordon was in position after the save to put the rebound in the back of the net, tying the game at one goal apiece.

“We just wanted it more in the second half,” Marshall head coach Bob Gray said. “That might have been the best half of soccer we’ve played in two years.”

The game remained tied at 1-1 for the next 20 minutes of play before South Carolina midfielder Danny Deakin passed the ball to forward Bijorn Gudjonsson who fired it past Gloston, giving the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead late in the game.

The goal was Gudjonsson’s first of the season, and it was enough for the Gamecocks to escape Huntington with the win.

“We dominated the game,” Gray said. “It was all in their half of the field. To come away with a loss is frustrating. It was a game we had right there in our back pocket.”

The loss dropped the Herd to 4-6 for the season, including 0-3 in conference play. The loss was the fifth straight for the Herd.

Marshall’s next match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday against the University of North Carolina at Transamerica Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Alec Hildebeidel can be contacted at [email protected].