USC Aiken Drops Overtime Thriller to PBC Rival Francis Marion
FLORENCE, S.C. - The USC Aiken men's soccer team had their hearts broken in the first overtime on Wednesday afternoon with a Francis Marion tally that earned the Patriots a 2-1 Peach Belt Conference overtime victory over the Pacers in the annual Passionately Pink for the Cure match.
Francis Marion's Juan Rivas netted the match-winner in the 99th-minute when he scored on a header off an assist from teammate Emerson Peredo.
Brett Van Pelt (Aiken, S.C./South Aiken) had placed the Pacers on top in the match in the fourth minute on an assist from Fernando Gamez-Noriega (Sinaloa, Mexico/Colleton County).
The Patriots would even the match at the 22:30 mark on a Cameron Mabee goal. He was assisted by Peredo on the goal.
The 1-1 score would remain throughout the rest of regulation with neither team able to procure the go-ahead goal before Rivas was able to score the match-winner in the first overtime period.
USC Aiken finished the match with three more shots than the Patriots at 12-9. USC Aiken held a more than commanding 11-1 advantage in corner kick opportunities.
The loss on Wednesday dropped the Pacers to 4-10-1 overall. USC Aiken is now 1-6 in Peach Belt Conference action. Francis Marion improved its record to 9-3-3 (4-1-2 PBC) with the win over the Pacers on Wednesday.
USC Aiken will close out its week next by playing host to Georgia Southwestern at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The match is the second game of a men's and women's soccer doubleheader at the "Pacer Pit" with the Pacer women slated to take on the Georgia Southwestern women prior to the men's match.
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