Men's Soccer | June 05, 2023

The University of South Carolina Aiken had many thrilling moments throughout the action-packed 2022-2023 season. Whether it was on the diamond, the court, the course, the tee box or the pitch, PacerSports.com is going to relive some of those unforgettable highlights that defines the Pacers' spirit a sport at a time.
 
Head coach Ike Ofoje's team lost a hard fought battle in the season opener against non-conference foe Newberry College. 
 
However, in the second match of the season, and the first in the conference, the Pacers picked up the win against PBC powerhouse Clayton State. 

Davide Panucci netted the first goal of the contest and Fabian Avila added two more in the 3-2 win. Uri-Malcolm Young assisted on all three goals and tied a school record for assists in a match. Defensively, Tyler Hughes posted 12 saves in his collegiate debut to earn the victory.

Panucci broke the scoreless contest at the 38:06 mark. Young flicked the ball to Panucci, who promptly took a touch and blasted the ball into the lower left of the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Panucci's tally was the lone goal of the first half despite aggressive play by both teams.

Ofoje's team pushed the margin to 2-0 when Malcolm Young passed the ball to Fabian Avila on the left side. Avila secured the pass at the top of the box on the fast break and ripped the shot past the keeper for the two-goal lead.

The Lakers pulled within one at the 67:55 mark. With just over 10 minutes to play, Malcolm Young crossed the ball from the near side to the top of the box. Avila ripped the shot to the upper right of the goal for a 3-1 margin.  
 
USC Aiken earned a win against Belmont Abbey and played Georgia Southwestern to a scoreless draw during the competitive season. 
 
The PBC recognized the team's demeanor on the field and honored the Pacers with the Team Sportsmanship Award. Individually, Wynston Johnson, Abelardo Rodriguez and Panucci garnered Academic All-District accolades. Panucci was also named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction.