JACKSON, Tenn. --- Sophomore midfielder Renan Diniz successfully converted on a penalty kick with one minute left in the first overtime period to clinch a 1-0 victory for the Auburn Montgomery men's soccer team over the Bulldogs of Union University in their Gulf South Conference opener on Sunday, Sept. 22. 
 
NOTEWORTHY
- The win marks for AUM's third in a row, while bringing their record to 3-3 overall and 1-0 in GSC play.
- Sunday's match accounted for AUM's first overtime contest in 2019, where they now sit 1-0 in games needing extra time. 
 
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Diniz's game-winning strike served as his second overall and second game-winning goal of the season. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native also put up four shots, with three on frame.
- Arnaud Baron took a game-high six shots, in addition to tallying a game-high four shots on goal.
- Eric Besse and Thomas Carlile both took two shots with one on goal, while Lyndsey Moreland added a shot on goal in the contest.
- In net, Alexander Kraus improved to 3-1 on the year, while picking up a save in his first shutout of 2019. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
- It didn't take long for the Warhawks to get their first look at a scoring opportunity in this one, as a Union handball in the box would result in a penalty kick for AUM in just the third minute of the match. Carlile's PK would be knocked away by a diving Casper Nyberg, however, to keep the match scoreless.
- The Warhawks would go on to rattle off nine more shots in the half, but could not find the back of the net. The Warhawk's first-half aggressiveness was highlighted by a one-minute stretch from minutes 34-35 that saw AUM put up four shots on goal, including three shots on frame in a 16-second period. 
- Both teams would see chances to score in the second half, but could not convert. The Bulldogs saw one of their best opportunities come in the 74th minute on a free kick from just outside the box, but a diving Kraus would deny the shot to keep the match scoreless. 
- AUM saw several golden opportunities go for not in half number two, including a pair of shots on goal by Baron in the 58th and 83rd minutes, and a left-to-right strike from Carlile in the 80th minute that missed just wide. 
- The Warhawks kept applying the pressure in overtime, however, and would eventually get rewarded with a penalty kick via a Union foul in the box. Diniz would go on to punch in the game-winner into the left side of the net in the 99th minute to clinch the victory for the Warhawks. 
 
QUOTING THE COACH
"I'm absolutely delighted with our first conference win of the season," Head Coach Matthew Thorne said. "The lads put in a serious shift today. To get any win in the GSC is tough, especially on the road against a very good and well-coach Union team. We had many chances to win the game sooner, but it was a great battle to get the win in overtime."
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- AUM put up a season-high 10 shots on goal in the win, with 18 shots taken in the match.
- Of the Warhawk's 18 shots, 10 came in the first period, six in the second, and two in overtime. 
- The AUM backline held strong in the game, keeping Union to just eight shots, one shot on goal and three corner kicks in the contest.
- The Orange and Black took 11 corner kicks on the day, pushing their GSC-leading total to 41 on the season. 
 
UP NEXT
- The Warhawks will see a five-day hiatus from competition, before they return to the pitch on Saturday, Sept. 28 to host Clayton State in nonconference action. Kickoff from the AUM Soccer Complex is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
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