Box Score HARTSVILLE, S.C. – In her first collegiate game,
University of South Carolina Aiken freshman Nicollete Rigon found the back of the net in the
97th-minute to lead the Pacers to a 1-0 overtime win
over Coker on Thursday evening at the Coker Soccer Field.
Almost seven minutes into the overtime period, Rigon (Columbia,
S.C./Spring Valley) scored the game-winning golden goal by shaking
off a Coker defender just outside of the six-yard box and then
calmly slotting the ball into the net for a Pacer victory.
USC Aiken (1-0) dominated the first half of action, taking 14
shots while holding Coker (0-1) to no shots. Despite their barrage
on the Coker net, USC Aiken was unable to find a goal as the two
teams entered intermission with the game still knotted at 0-0.
The start of the second half saw the Pacers still peppering the
Coker goal, but to no avail. The stout Pacer defense continued to
hold their ground as Coker's first shot was not sent towards the
Pacer net until the 60th-minute.
Despite their constant pressure on the Coker goal in the second
stanza, USC Aiken would not be able to find the back of the net in
the 90 minutes of regulation, forcing overtime. The Pacers outshot
the Cobras 9-2 in the second half to enter overtime with a 23-2
shot advantage.
Rigon's goal was the Pacers' only shot in the extra frame,
ending the match with the Pacers clinging to a 24-2 shot advantage.
The Pacers held a 7-1 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
USC Aiken goalkeepers Alli Edens (Lexington,
S.C. /College of Charleston) and Melissa Westphal
(Springfield, Va./Paul VI Catholic) combined for the clean sheet
between the pipes. The duo was forced into only one save on the
evening.
Coker goalkeeper Lizz Morris finished the loss to USC Aiken with 10
saves.
USC Aiken will stay in the Palmetto State next for a 1 p.m.
contest against Newberry in Newberry, S.C. on Sunday, Sept. 4. USC
Aiken bested Newberry, 2-0, last season at the "Pacer Pit." The
match will be able to be followed live on USC Aiken's official
athletic website at www.PacerSports.com.
