Mercer University
Lipscomb
Edmondson, King give Mercer a Dramatic 2-1 Win over Lipscomb
11/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
For post game interview with sophomore Ryan King, click here
To view photo gallery from tonight's game, click here
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Junior Richie Edmondson and sophomore Ryan King each scored goals late in the second half to give the Mercer men's soccer team a 2-1 victory over Lipscomb in the first round of the 2011 Atlantic Sun Championship on Wednesday evening at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
Mercer (9-7-3) scored two goals in the second half for the second-straight game to pull out the come from behind win against a stunned Lipscomb (4-12-3) squad.
The Bears and Bisons each had 15 shots apiece in the contest, but Mercer earned a season-high 11 corner kicks due to a consistent offensive pressure that eventually wore down the Lipscomb defense.
The first chance of the contest for either side came in the seventh minute of play off the foot of Lipscomb forward Garret Pettis. Pettis weaved through the Mercer defense and fired a shot that went right to Bears keeper Greg Ranjitsingh for the save.
Mercer jumped right back with a scoring opportunity of its own in the 12th minute thanks to some nifty passing. Freshman Carl-Oscar Andersson back heeled a pass to classmate Sean Baumann whose shot was blocked away at the last second to end the chance.
Pettis threatened for Lipscomb again, in the 17th minute, when he brought down a long ball and fired in a low shot that Ranjitsingh corralled to keep the game scoreless.
The Bears threatened again in the 40th minute after the Lipscomb defense committed a bad foul just outside its own 18-yard box. Junior Joey Heavner stepped up to the free kick and fired in a shot that Bisons goalkeeper Brent McGee tipped just over the bar to keep the score tied at 0-0.
Lipscomb jumped on the board first with just under three minutes to go in the first half thanks once again to the play of Pettis. The Elizabethtown, Pa. native received a slip through ball and finished the chance with a low shot to the left of Ranjitsingh to give the Bisons a 1-0 advantage going into intermission.
Mercer nearly tied the game up just one minute into the second half when Edmondson got on the end of a long throw and fired a low shot that was saved by McGee to keep Lipscomb in front, 1-0.
The Bears kept pressing forward and nearly took advantage of some sloppy play along the Lipscomb backline in the 59th minute. Heavner picked up a turnover in the Lipscomb penalty box and fired in a shot that sailed over the bar, keeping the score 1-0 Lipscomb.
Mercer's offensive pressure finally paid off in the 76th minute of play in the form of Edmondson. The Montego Bay, Jamaica native collected a failed Lipscomb clearance and blasted a low shot to the left of McGee to tie the game at 1-1.
The Orange and Black kept pressing forward; sensing momentum had swung over to their side and it proved to be the right decision. Junior Josh Shutter played in a free kick service that King headed out of the air past McGee to give Mercer a 2-1 lead with just nine minutes to go in regulation.
That is the way the back-and-forth action packed game eventually ended, as the Bears controlled possession for the remainder of the game to pull out the comeback victory.
Ranjitsingh made four saves in the win for Mercer, while McGee made fives stops in a losing effort.
Mercer now moves onto the semi-finals where it will take on No. 1 seeded Florida Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
