Selected as one of the top teams in the Peach Belt Conference during the preseason, the USC Aiken men's soccer team struggled in the early going of the 2015 campaign as it battled the injury bug. However, once healthy, the team reeled off four straight wins in order to reach the PBC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Pacers garnered wins over Clayton State, Georgia Southwestern, UNC Pembroke and North Georgia on Senior Day en route to earning a postseason berth.
In the 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Clayton State, USC Aiken had allowed an early goal.
Ike Ofoje's squad battled back to knot the contest just prior to intermission. Andre Simmond touched the ball and Adria Dalmau blasted a shot from the side of the box, making it a 1-1 score.
The team had chances earlier in the half to take the lead, but it was unable to do so. Simmond took a corner kick and Ryan Dwyer rocketed a shot that was high over the frame in the 25th minute of action.
In the second period, neither team had a clear shot on target in the early going as both had attempts blocked. At the 62:22 mark, Chase Boulton came up huge as he stopped a Laker from point-blank range. Three minutes later, he swarmed the ball on another attempt, keeping the contest knotted at 1-1.
USC Aiken controlled much of the second period and finally broke through with the second goal of the match when Simmond played the ball along the end-line to Nathan Shanko. He took the pass that was crossed from the other side of the pitch and one-timed it into the back of the net for the advantage.
The Pacers had several chances to increase the lead over the final 22-plus minutes, but the squad was unable to do so.
Billy Johns fired wide in the 71st minute, which marked the team's last shot of the match. The team had a few chances on break-away attempts, but it played the ball to the corner on multiple occasions. The squad also played stellar defense as the Lakers mustered just one shot on target after allowing the Pacers' second goal.
For the match, Ofoje's team was out-shot 11-7. USC Aiken held a 5-4 edge in corner kicks. Boulton recorded five saves in the match.
The team bested the Hurricanes 3-2 in an overtime contest.
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 team went on the road to knock off the Braves on their Senior Night by a 2-0 count.
Ofoje's team got things started off in fine style. At the 4:36 mark, Nathan Shanko played the ball to Jordan Misiri, who rocketed a shot past the keeper for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
USC Aiken continued applying pressure in the offensive third of the pitch as Patrick Widemann launched a shot from the top of the box but missed right of the goal in the eighth minute of play.
After Andre Bernardini stopped the Braves' attempts at scoring, the Pacers pushed forward in the 19th minute of action and Shanko blasted a shot from the top of the box that was wide of the target.
Andre Simmond had a shot blocked in the 31st minute and Misiri missed wide three minutes later. Simmond recorded three corner kicks in less than a minute of action, but the team was unable to produce a shot during the stretch. Shanko and Sajih Daychoum each had shots that did not find the back of the net prior to intermission.
After a yellow card was issued to a UNC Pembroke student-athlete,Adria Dalmau launched a shot that was saved from just outside the box. Simmond had a shot inside the 18-yard box that was stopped in the 67th minute.
At the 86:55 mark, a red card was issued to the home team. Simmond calmly stepped to the ball and booted into the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage.
For the match, USC Aiken held a 16-14 advantage in shots. Each team had five corner kicks. Bernardini played 88:52 between the pipes and stopped seven shots in the shutout win.
On Senior Day, USC Aiken was in for a tough match, but the squad broke open the contest midway through the second half en route to the 5-1 win.
USC Aiken was kept off the scoreboard until late in the first half when Rodgrigo Goncalves dribbled down the right side of the pitch. He flicked the ball to Nathan Shanko, who fired home the first score of the match at the 43:37 mark.
After intermission, the Pacers continued applying pressure on the offensive third of the pitch. In the 67th minute, Gabriel Locher was in the midst of a scramble in the box. He passed it to Ryan Dwyer, who promptly rocketed off a shot that found the back of the net for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Head coach Ike Ofoje's team would strike again as a pair of seniors connected for the score at the 83:33 mark. Smith played the ball off to Jarrel Smalls, who found the back of the net for a 3-0 lead.
The visitors sliced the deficit to 3-1 on an unassisted goal at the 85:36 mark. However, USC Aiken ensured there would be no comeback from the visitors.
Edmund Eastick took a free kick on the right side of the pitch and blasted a shot to the left side of the goal for a 4-1 lead at the 88:05 mark. Thirty-seven seconds later, Billy Johns found Sajih Daychoum for the final goal of the match.
For the contest, Smalls led the way with three shots, including a pair on frame. Eastick and Shanko each had a pair of shots in the win.
Alessandro Gentile played all 90 minutes between the pipes, stopping a pair of shots.
USC Aiken out-shot the visitors 10-6 and held a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
It marked the last home match for seniors Mckinley Blezin, Sajih Daychoum, Sandre Duncan, Ryan Dwyer, Edmund Eastick, Gabriel Locher, Daane Mallek, Jarrel Smalls and Dean Smith.
