AIKEN, S.C. – With the score tie at 1-1, Caroline Gillespie rifled home a shot from eight yards out, securing an overtime victory for the University of South Carolina Aiken Wednesday evening by a 2-1 count over visiting Lincoln Memorial in a non-conference contest.

The Pacers improve to 8-5 on the season.   

After Megan Smits dribbled toward the goal, the keeper came out and she flicked the ball to the middle of the pitch. Gillespie raced toward the ball, took a dribble to her right and crossaed it into the lower right corner of an open net for the game-winning tally.

In the first half, USC Aiken controlled the tempo of the contest in the early going. After an early yellow card on a student-athlete, head coach Sue Vodicka's team pushed forward, attacking the 18-yard box.

After forcing a corner kick, Jenna Beauregard blasted a well-placed corner kick into the middle of the pitch. Haley Pipkin jumped high into a pile of players and headed home the pass for a 1-0 advantage with 26:55 showing on the clock.

In the opening stanza, the Pacers totaled seven shots to five by the Railsplitters. Alli Edens, who played the first half in goal, stopped all four shots on goal by the visitors.

Vodicka's team dominated much of the second half, but LMU was able to produce a goal with two ticks left on the clock in regulation after a quick counter-attack.

Despite the late goal, the Pacers came out and pushed forward from the outset of the extra period. After a quick shot by the Railsplitters and a save by Edens, the home team went back on the offensive. Smits got free and recorded the pass that led to the game-winning goal.

Melissa Westphal saw 45 minutes in goal for USC Aiken. She accounted for two stops while Edens posted five for the contest.  

For the match, USC Aiken held a 12-10 advantage in shots. The teams had four corner kicks apiece.  

This marks the most wins for the program since the 2002 campaign. That season, USC Aiken went 8-8-3.

The Pacers return to action Saturday at Montevallo in a Peach Belt Conference contest. The match is slated for a 6:30 p.m. EST start.