YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | Young Harris College opened up its Peach Belt Conference men's soccer schedule with a 2-0 victory over the University of South Carolina Aiken Saturday (Sept. 22) afternoon at the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field.

The fourth-ranked Mountain Lions improved to 7-0-0 overall and 1-0-0 in the league, while the Pacers slipped to 2-3-0 and 0-1-0. Young Harris returns to action Wednesday (Sept.  26) when they travel to Hickory, North Carolina, for a 5 p.m. match against Lenoir-Rhyne University. It will be a rematch of last year's first round match of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional that saw Young Harris win 2-0.

Carlos Gomez was in the right place at the right time as the Mountain Lions took a 1-0 lead at the 19:35 mark. Mikie Rowe had the initial shot that USC Aiken goalkeeper Alejandro Chavarria got a finger on and hit off the right post where Gomez was standing. Gomez converted the point-blank shot into the back of the net for his sixth strike of the year.

It was more of the same for the Mountain Lions in the second half. After a Rowe header was saved, a bad clear by a Pacer defender resulted in the ball going to Val Feeney, who slotted the ball into the back of the net from the right side. Feeney's second goal of the 2018 campaign gave Young Harris a 2-0 lead with 9:53 to play.

Young Harris held a 17-7 advantage on shots (13-4 on goal) and a 6-0 margin on corner kicks. Alex Iglesias recorded his fifth clean sheet of the year as he turned away four shots in goal for the Mountain Lions. Chavarria posed 11 saves for the Pacers.