Mercer University
Lipscomb
Mercer Plays to 1-1 Draw with Lipscomb
10/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Mercer men's soccer team fought for 110 minutes with as few as 10 men to pull out a much needed 1-1 draw against Lipscomb on Thursday evening at Bear Field.
Mercer (7-6-3, 2-3-2 A-Sun) out-shot Lipscomb (4-11-3, 3-4-1 A-Sun) 14-11 and tied a season-high with nine corner kicks in the match, but couldn't break the 1-1 tie.
After tonight's tie, the Bears sit at eight points in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings with one game left to go against Belmont. If Mercer can either win or draw against the Bruins on Sunday, that will be enough to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Sun Championship for the fourth consecutive season under head coach Brad Ruzzo.
After Mercer controlled play over the first 24 minutes of the game, Lipscomb got on the end of a loose ball in the Bears box and made them pay. Bisons star forward Garret Pettis ran onto the free chance and fired a shot low past Mercer goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
That is the way things stayed moving into the second half when Mercer notched an equalizer just minutes into the period. Sophomore Ehjayson Henry flicked a header to classmate Ryan King who fired a shot from the right side past Lipscomb net minder Brent McGee to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bears nearly went ahead in the 71st minute when senior Ryan Young headed a corner kick on goal that was cleared off the line by a Lipscomb defender to keep the game tied at 1-1.
The Bisons had their chance to take the lead in the 80th minute when senior Andrew Chamberlain blasted a shot off the crossbar and back into play keeping the score 1-1.
The match took a momentum swing towards Lipscomb in the 87th minute when junior Josh Shutter picked up his second yellow card of the match, leaving Mercer with just 10 men the rest of the match.
Chamberlain nearly give the Bisons the win in the second overtime when he hit another long strike that Ranjitsingh tipped off the right post and back into play. That chance proved to be the last for both teams ending the contest after 110 minutes of play in a 1-1 draw.
Ranjitsingh made four saves in the match, while McGee made one stop for the Bisons.
Mercer is back on the pitch on Sunday afternoon when it heads across town to take on Belmont. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park.
