After a 0-0 tie against East Tennessee State University on Sept 25, men’s soccer continued their roundtrip to better their 3-4-1 record.
MERCER VS. WINTHROP
The men’s soccer team faced Winthrop University on Sept 28 for their third consecutive away match. The Bears fell to the Eagles 3-1. Winthrop scored two goals in the first half and another in the second.
In the second half of the game, midfielder Baba Agbaje got possession of the ball and sent it to forward Chad Eldridge who scored his first career goal and the only Mercer goal of the night. The Bears took 14 shots for the night, four of which were on goal. Sophomore keeper, Trevor McMullen managed to save two of Winthrop's shots for the night.
MERCER VS. UNCG
The Bears were on the road again on Oct 2 against the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Spartans. The Spartans have one of the best offensive teams in the nation averaging 2.92 goals per game which is 1.34 more goals per game than the nearest team. They proved their ability by earning a 3-0 win over the Bears.
All the Spartans’ goals came in the first half, but in the second half, the Bears gained some defensive momentum and did not allow another goal. The Bears also got offensive rhythm and had five shots in the second half but could not find the back of the net.
McMullen had eight saves for the night and, with the help of the Mercer defense, only allowed three goals.
MERCER VS. VMI
Mercer Bears returned to their home field on Saturday and hosted the Virginia Military Institute. The Bears broke their four-game losing streak by taking a 5-0 win over the Keydets.
Just three minutes into the first half, midfielder Dylan Gaither opened the scoring for the Bears. 21 minutes later, forward Michael Ille scored with an assist from defensive midfielder Ousman Jabang. VMI received a foul, giving the Bears another opportunity to increase their lead with a free-kick. Gaither took the shot and found the back of the net, completing a brace. The Bears ended the first half with a 3-0 lead over VMI.
The second half opened with his first career goal from forward Kevin Kim, just minutes into the period. Ille completed a brace as well when he scored in the 59th minute with assists from Gaither and Jabang. Keepers Trevor McMullen and George Lakovidis had a combined three stops during the match.
MERCER VS. JACKSONVILLE
Mercer hosted Jacksonville University on Tuesday. Dylan Gaither scored in the 53rd minute of the match with an assist from Ousman Jabang. With that goal, the Bears pulled away from the Dolphins and won the game.
Offensively, Kadeem Agard led with four shots. And keeper, Trevor McMullen saved five of Jacksonville’s shots.
The win led the Bears to their longest winning streak this season with three straight wins, and they will host Belmont on Saturday to defend their streak.
