AIKEN, SC – USC Aiken rallied from a one-goal deficit three times in the second half and then scored the winning goal with 11 seconds left in overtime to capture a 4-3 victory over Francis Marion University, Wednesday night (Oct. 11) in Peach Belt Conference men’s soccer action.

Francis Marion fall to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in PBC play.  The Patriots will return home to entertain Lenoir-Rhyne University on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. The match will be the annual Florence Soccer Association (FSA) Night.

USCA’s Chukwudi Apugo headed in a free kick off the foot of Andre Simmond at the 109:49 mark to account for the golden goal.

The Pacers (4-6-1, 2-3-0) outshot Francis Marion 17-9 and held a 13-6 advantage in corner kicks.

FMU sophomore Damien Tergella gave the Patriots an early 1-0 lead when he scored from five yards out off assists from Levin Sandmann and Oliver Drakenhammar only 39 seconds into the contest.  The score was one of the fastest in team history – only 15 seconds off the program record of 24 seconds recorded by Michael Ritch against Barton College in 1999.

That score held through halftime until Driss Baraket knotted the score at 1-1 with an unassisted goal 2:53 into the second half.

FMU regained the lead at the 55:47 mark when Sandmann tallied his team-leading eighth goal of 2017, thanks to an assist from sophomore Jordan Dechere.  The Pacers countered with an equalizing score only 51 seconds later.

A penalty kick by Patriot freshman Jonas Dovland put FMU up 3-2 with 6:32 remaining in regulation, but Simmond forced overtime when he scored with 3:41 left. Neither team was able to produce a shot before overtime began.

Freshman goalkeeper Raul Guillamon Bejar recorded three saves for the Patriots, while Leonardo Targia made one stop for USCA.

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