Box Score AIKEN, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's soccer team earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Georgia Southwestern Monday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.
The Pacers are now 6-4-3 on the season, including a 3-3-1 mark against league foes.
After a scoreless first half, head coach Ike Ofoje's team got things going when Andre Simmond found the back of the net in the 58th minute of action after he blasted a shot from 15 yards out. Not to be outdone, the visiting Hurricanes tied the match in the 66th minute of play.
The teams stayed deadlocked until the 86:32 mark. Jordan Misiri put the Pacers ahead by a 2-1 count on a 20-yard shot. However, Georgia Southwestern went on the offensive and found the tying score at the 88:19 mark.
USC Aiken gained control in the overtime session. The squad earned a free kick at 91:19. Simmond took the kick, but the team was unable to record a shot off the set piece.
Three minutes into the extra session, Misiri tried for his second goal of the night, but he was denied as the Hurricanes' keeper made a solid save.
A Hurricanes' player was issued a red card at the 95:34 mark. Simmond took the free kick and played it to Dean Smith. Smith gained possession of the ball and flicked it to Rodrigo Goncalves, who fired a shot that found the back of the net for the game-winning goal at the 95:45 mark.
For the contest, Ofoje's team outshot the visitors 16-6, including 11-3 over the final 50:45. The Pacers had six corner kicks compared to three by the Hurricanes.
Chase Boulton played the first 90 minutes between the pipes, picking up a pair of saves for USC Aiken. Andre Bernardini played the final 5:45 of the match to pick up the victory.
The Pacers return to action Wednesday when they travel to UNC Pembroke. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.
