Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's soccer team remained unbeaten against non-conference opposition in the 2012 season in a 3-1 victory over Belmont Abbey on Saturday evening at the "Pacer Pit."
The contest was the home opener for USC Aiken (2-1-2).
The Pacers netted the first goal of the game in the 15th-minute when Mark Hanlon (Dublin, Ireland/Blackfoot College) scored his first goal as a Pacer. Hanlon's goal came when he headed in a beautifully placed corner kick from Dean Smith (Lexington, S.C./Lexington HS).
The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the Pacers until the 28th-minute when Belmont Abbey's Tarik Amon scored on a rebound off a shot from Jose Penaloza.
The Pacers would place themselves back on top in the 40th-minute when Carson Villa (Savannah, Ga./Benedictine Military) opportunistically plucked a rebound off an errant cross away from Belmont Abbey goalkeeper Jordan Junot. Left alone after stealing the ball, Villa blasted the ball into the back of the net for his first tally of the year.
USC Aiken would add an insurance goal in the 64th-minute when Noel Mais (Atlanta, Ga./Kingston College) scored off an assist from Mohamed Fall (Dakar, Senegal/USC Salkehatchie). Mais seemingly had no angle to score, but nevertheless was able to blister the ball into the upper right corner past Junot.
USC Aiken finished with a 16-11 shot advantage over Belmont Abbey. The Pacers owned a 9-1 shot advantage in the second stanza.
Belmont Abbey (3-3) owned a slight 6-4 corner kick advantage in the game.
USC Aiken will next play host to league foe Lander at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26.
