FLORENCE, SC – Four different Spartans scored goals as sixth-ranked USC Upstate blanked Francis Marion University 4-0, Saturday (Oct. 7) afternoon in Peach Belt Conference men’s soccer action.

USC Upstate ups its overall record to 9-1-1 and its PBC mark to 3-1-0, while FMU (3-8-1, 1-3-1) suffers its fifth straight shutout loss – the longest scoring drought in the program’s 32-year history.

Senior goalkeeper Ryan Cooper played the opening 79 minutes for the Spartans and recorded four saves.

Junior Troy Mellanson opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 5:50 when he chipped the ball over the head of FMU sophomore keeper Nick Krywyj from 19 yards out. The margin moved to 2-0 when senior Liam Slack scored from the left side after a pass from Nick Buxton at 24:05. Slack is among the conference leaders with 10 goals this season.

In the second half, freshman defender Jack Robertson headed in a corner kick by Kadian Martin at 77:34, and junior Stewart Stanbra completed the scoring in the 83rd minute, aided by an assist from David Stanbra.

USC Upstate out shot the Patriots 24-7 and held a 17-3 advantage in corner kicks. The corner kicks total for the Spartans was one shy of the single-match record for a PBC contest.

Krywyj registered two saves before leaving the match at halftime with an injury. Sophomore Jeremy Crooks played the final 45 minutes and made five stops.

FMU plays at UNC Pembroke, Wednesday at 7 p.m., while USC Upstate travels to Newberry College on the same day for a 4 p.m. match.