AIKEN, S.C. – Despite an impressive and aggressive rally late in the second half, the USC Aiken women's soccer team was unable to procure a win against the visiting Braves of UNC Pembroke in Peach Belt Conference action Wednesday evening. The Braves were able to hold off the late Pacer charge to claim the close 3-2 victory at "Pacer Pit."

USC Aiken is now 2-8 and 0-5 in Peach Belt Conference action while UNC Pembroke find themselves 9-1-1 and 4-1 in league play.

UNC Pembroke took the lead in the 17th minute of the first half when Faye Corbett played the ball over the top of Anna Svensson's head, setting up Svennsson who was able to beat the Pacer net keeper and give the Braves the early 1-0 lead.

After the intermission, Svensson and Corbett teamed up once again just two minutes into the second half as Svennson placed the ball into the lower left corner of the net for her 11th goal of the season to put the Braves up 2-0 in the 47th minute.

Brittany Padilla put UNCP up 3-0 in the 66th minute when she scored her third goal of the year off a penalty kick.

The young and feisty Pacers proved they would not roll over as freshman Madeline Fellabom (Mount Pleasant, S.C./Wando) prevented the shutout. Fellabom deftly sent the ball into the lower left corner of the goal for her second goal of the season off a cross from Carly Minx (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford) in the 78th minute.

USC Aiken continued to pressure the Braves and it eventually paid off as Jenny Pineiro (Charleston, S.C./Fort Dorchester) scored her first goal of the season when a corner kick by Alex Cohen (Evans, Ga./Greenbrier) was batted around the box a bit before Pineiro deftly knocked the ball to the left of the UNCP netminder and into the bottom right corner of the net to pull the Pacers within one at 3-2 with just five minutes remaining in regulation.

The Pacers tried numerous times in the waning minutes of the match to find the equalizer, but in the end came up just short to drop the match with a final score of 3-2.

Despite the loss, the Pacers out-shot the Braves 17-9 as USC Aiken was able to keep the ball on UNC Pembroke's side of the field for much of the second half.

The Pacer women will now look to Saturday, Oct. 9 for their next match when the Falcons of Montevallo will soar down to "Pacer Pit" for a 6 p.m. PBC tilt on the pitch. The game will serve as USC Aiken's "Kick Out Cancer" day with both teams sporting special jerseys with the official "Kick Out Cancer" logo and plenty of opportunities for fans to support breast cancer research.