BY KEITH NAMM
Of The Post and Courier staff
BATTERY 4, SOUTH CAROLINA 1
The Battery continued working toward the start of the A-League season next month with a 4-1 exhibition win over perennial college soccer power South Carolina on Wednesday night.
Mac Cozier scored two goals, and Paul Conway and Seamus Donnelly added one each at Blackbaud Stadium as Charleston overcame an early deficit with four unanswered strikes.
Junior forward Joey Worthen scored for USC, which last fall made its latest NCAA Tournament appearance and finished ranked No. 16 nationally.
The match was called several minutes early after Gamecocks junior Alex Balasco suffered a broken leg on a 50-50 ball.
The pro side had a 12-5 edge in shots but did not seize command until it scored three times in 34 minutes starting with Donnelly's 50th-minute strike.
"We made a lot of chances, but we didn't take the game by the scruff of the neck by finishing the early chances we made," Battery coach Alan Dicks said.
"But that's what preseason games are for, to work these things out."
Worthen's goal, in the 14th minute, was a header past keeper Todd Hoffard that he converted off midfielder Anthony Vitaglio's left-side cross.
Conway tied it by burying a penalty kick in the 23rd minute.
An errant USC clear led to the go-ahead goal in the 50st minute. Donnelly, a Charleston newcomer, took a Brian Alvero pass inside the box and slotted home a left-footer.
In the 70th minute, Cozier won the ball atop the box and curled a shot inside the near post to make it 3-1. Fourteen minutes later, Cozier ran free onto an Alvero through-ball and swept around the keeper for a tap-in.
Longtime MLS standout Dan Calichman played the first half in his first outing for Charleston, which used 20 players.
The Battery (1-1 preseason) plays College of Charleston at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Patriots Point
