Men's Soccer | September 05, 2023

Each week, USC Aiken will post notes. This week, the Pacers play at Newberry on Tuesday before hosting Lynn Friday evening in the home opener.

Recapping Last Week

In the lone match USC Aiken played last week, the Pacers recorded two goals in less than five minutes of work en route to a 2-2 draw at Belmont Abbey. Jose Rabadan and Lucas Pegorer each had goals in the second period.

Rabadan's Big Day

Newcomer Jose Rabadan had a big day in his USC Aiken debut. Rabadan cut the 2-0 deficit in half at the 72:30 mark after taking a pass from Lucas Pegorer and finding the back of the net. He also assisted on the match-tying goal two minutes later.

Huge Plays By Hughes

Always be prepared. That's exactly how Tyler Hughes was when he entered the season-opener at Belmont Abbey. Hughes directed the defense perfectly and he was tested twice in the waning moments of the match with two shots from point-blank range. Hughes had no problems at all stopping the attempts to preserve the 2-2 draw.

Pegorer's Stellar Play

Lucas Pegorer has had some outstanding matches during his time at USC Aiken but his impact in a three-minute span at Belmont Abbey showcased what he can do for the program. Pegorer distributed a pass to Jose Rabadan in the 73^rd minute for the team's first goal of the season. At the 74:56 mark, Pegorer blasted a shot from the top of the box directly past the keeper, knotting the score at 2-2.

Denis Dominates

Head coach Ike Ofoje spoke highly of Hippolyte Denis after the season-opening match at Belmont Abbey. Denis, despite not having any statistics that are kept by the NCAA, had a huge impact on the match. He won every 50-50 ball that he challenged for, made every tackle and directed the team in the second-half comeback.

Inside The Numbers

This week, USC Aiken plays at Newberry on Tuesday, Sept. 5 before hosting Lynn on Friday, Sept. 8. Since moving to Division II, the Pacers are 19-26-2 (41.5 percent) in Tuesday contests and 9-10-4 (47.8 percent) in Friday affairs. During the same time, the program is 3-6-2 on Sept. 5 and 1-6-2 on Sept. 8.

Against The Opponents

This week, USC Aiken plays at Newberry on Tuesday, Sept. 5 before hosting Lynn on Friday, Sept. 8.  The Pacers are 9-6-2 in the all-time series against Newberry. The Wolves won a 1-0 match a season ago but USC Aiken won a 3-1 decision the last time the squads played at Newberry. Lynn leads the all-time series 1-0 after posting a 3-2 victory in Aiken on Sept. 4, 2009.