Tuesday, October 24 , 2006

SAINTS FALL IN DOUBLE-OVERTIME TO THIRD-SEEDED PACERS
Best scores lone goal for North Georgia as season ends in PBC Tournament

Aiken, S.C. – Senior Emmanuel Maduka found the back of the net early in double overtime to send third-seeded USC Aiken to a 2-1 victory over sixth-seeded North Georgia on Tuesday night at “Pacer Pit” in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference men’s soccer tournament.

Despite controlling the ball and getting far more scoring chances in the first half, USC Aiken (11-5-2) trailed 1-0 at halftime thanks to a Sheldon Best goal in the 34th minute.  Best, whose shot was the lone attempt the Saints had in the half, sent a header past Pacer keeper Harold Tate after getting a header from Michael Rodenby in the box.  

“North Georgia is a very dangerous team and they didn’t have much to lose, coming in as the lower seed,” USCA head coach Ike Ofoje said after the match.

USC Aiken outshot the Saints 7-1 in the half and had numerous close calls. In the 17th minute, Alex Lewis sent a free kick to the corner of the goal, only to see North Georgia keeper Brandon Kirksey tip it out of play.  On the ensuing corner, the ball was deflected out to Pacer defender Raymond Sarfo, who fired a shot, only to see Kirksey again make a diving stop.  

The Pacers finally notched the equalizer in the 50th minute. Tim Costanzo played a corner into the box that Maduka touched out to Adam Lambert.  The junior immediately fired a shot past Kirksey to knot the score at 1-1.  

The teams played the rest of the half to a draw.  The Pacers again outshot the Saints, this time by a count of 8-4.

The tension increased as the game reached overtime, and the Saints came within inches of pulling the upset in the 95th minute.  Jeremy Bouasy fired a shot in the box that Tate barely got a hand on and sent toward the post.  The ball ricocheted off the post and then the crossbar before being cleared by a Pacer defender.  USCA avoided that close call and did not allow the Saints to get another shot off.  

Maduka then finished the game off early in the second overtime.  Costanzo beat a defender to the right corner and again sent a beautiful cross into the box.  Maduka corralled the pass and beat Kirksey with a shot to the far post to end the game.

“We were fortunate to get a win, but I knew we would come around in the second half,” Ofoje said after the game. 

North Georgia ends the season at 5-12-1, while the Pacers move onto Friday’s semifinals, where they will face second-seeded Clayton State.  

 -NGCSU-

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