Box Score AIKEN, S.C. - The University of South Carolina Aiken men's soccer team came very close to picking up one of the biggest wins in program history in a narrow 3-2 loss to seventh-ranked Lynn on Friday evening at "Pacer Pit."

The score 2-2, Lynn's Christian Donert scored on a one-timer off a clearance from the Pacer defense that went into the top right corner of the net past USC Aiken goalkeeper Andray Charles (Grenada, West Indies/Presentation Brothers). The game-winner by Donert ended a 2-2 tie in the latter minutes of the second half.

USC Aiken erased two deficits in the game to challenge for the huge victory over the Fighting Knights.

Donert first placed Lynn on the scoreboard in only the fourth minute of the match when he scored on a header from Luke Magill. The momentum easily in Lynn's favor after this, USC Aiken dismantled the Lynn defense to even the game at 1-1 a few minutes later to thwart any ideas of a Lynn blowout.

Fernando Gamez-Noriega (Sinaloa, Mexico/Colleton County) etched the Pacers' name on the scoreboard by opportunistically grabbing a loose ball deep inside the Lynn 18-yard box and then deftly turning to the side and slicing the ball past Lynn goalkeeper Alessandro Salvatore into the back of the net to even the game at 1-1.

The Pacers' from that point forward would acquire most of the quality shot attempts in the first half with Brett Van Pelt (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) just missing wide right on a chance to give the Pacers the lead at 2-1 about 15 minutes into the match.

The narrow miss by Van Pelt would loom large with Lynn's Kyle Conrad scoring to put the Knights on top 2-1. The score would remain the same until the 57^th-minute when Zachary Davis (Ocala, Fla./Vanguard) blasted a lay-off from fellow Pacer midfielder Troy Watson (Kingston, Jamaica/Montreat) into the upper 90.

The netter by Davis would be all that the strong Pacer side could manage in the second half of the contest with Lynn posting the goal by Donert and then holding on for the one-goal victory.
Donert led all players in the game with two goals on just two shot attempts. Watson paced USC Aiken, acquiring both assists in the match.

Lynn finished with five more shots (16-11) than the Pacers in the match, but the two were even in corner kicks with both taking four in the contest.

The match was a homecoming of sorts as Lynn is coached by John Rootes, who coached Ofoje in college at Southern New Hampshire University. The two led the Penmen to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1989.

???????USC Aiken (0-2) will stay at home next to take on Palmetto state foe Anderson at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9 at "Pacer Pit." The match is the second game of a four-match homestand for USC Aiken.