Mercer University
Georgia St.
Shutter Lifts Bears to 2-1 Win Over Georgia State
9/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Box Score
MACON, Ga. – Mercer men's soccer sophomore Josh Shutter scored two goals to help Mercer upend in-state rival Georgia State, 2-1, on Sunday evening at Bear Field.
Georgia State out-shot Mercer 12-11, but the Bears held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
The win improves Mercer's overall record to 3-1-1, its best start after five games since going 4-1 to start the 2007 season. The victory also pushes the Orange and Black's unbeaten streak up to four games, the longest current streak in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Tonight's match was the 2010 home opener for Mercer and was also the first loss of the season for Georgia State (3-1-2).
The Orange and Black got on the board first in the 10th minute of play thanks to some fine footwork from the Clemson transfer. Senior Ian Cameron sent in a free kick cross that Shutter put a great one-time touch on to beat Georgia State goalkeeper Vincent Foermer. The goal was Shutter's first as a Bear and gave Mercer an early 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Brett Petricek kept the Bears in front, making four first half saves to preserve the Orange and Black's 1-0 lead going into intermission.
A red card on Georgia State midfielder Alex Vivanco, in the 61st minute, gave the home team a man advantage and seemed to all but assure a victory for Mercer. The Panthers had other ideas, however, when sophomore Gimel Gordon sent in a cross on a counter attack that junior Jacob Hamilton got a head on to beat Petricek and tie the game back up at, 1-1.
That is the way it would stay until Shutter came through once again for the Bears to send the Bears Field crowd of just under 500 spectators home happy. The Orange and Black earned a corner kick in the 85th minute that was sent in by Cameron and knocked around for a bit before Shutter connected on a strike that beat Foermer for a 2-1 advantage.
The match was a fiercely contested game that featured 34 fouls and three yellow cards combined between the two in-state foes.
Mercer gets back on the road to start play next weekend, when it travels up to Virginia to take on Virginia Military Institute on Friday, Sept. 24. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Patchin Field.
