Mercer University
Jacksonville St.
Bears Shutout Gamecocks To Open 2011 Campaign
8/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women's soccer team began their quest to defend their 2010 Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship on Friday night, shutting out the visiting Jacksonville St. Gamecocks 2-0 at Bear Field.
These same two teams met on opening day in 2009 in Macon with Mercer taking that game by the same 2-0 margin. In that game Mercer outshot the Gamecocks 25-5, on Friday the shot total wasn't as lopsided but the Bears were able to put away two goals on 15 shots.
"Anytime you get a shutout on your home field that's a good thing," head coach Grant Serafy said. "And we limited them to just one shot on goal which was good for us as well."
The game got off to a quiet start with the two teams combining for just three shots in the first 30 minutes of the match. It was on Mercer's third shot of the game that senior forward Emerald Phillips was able corral a long feed from junior defender P.A. Upson and bury the eventual game-winner. Phillips' first of the season came at the 38:08 mark in the first half.
The Bears went into halftime with the 1-0 lead and were fortunate maintain it after getting off to an auspicious start in the second frame. Jacksonville St. had three early scoring chances in the second half, but could not capitalize on their opportunities and pushed several shots wide and high of goal.
"I thought the first ten minutes of the second half we dodged some bullets for sure," Serafy said. "If we had got scored on in the first ten minutes, it would have been a totally different game. The rest of the second half, that's when I was impressed."
Mercer certainly picked up the intensity later in the second half, peppering Jacksonville St. keepers with seven shots on goal in the match. The Bears added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute when sophomore forward Casey Barrett cleaned up a free kick off the head of senior Olivia Tucker. Barrett was a A-Sun All-Freshmen Team player a year ago.
Senior Cristina Guilarte picked up the start and the win in goal, but the Bears were able to play both senior keepers as Cagney Valloch came in late the ballgame to finish things up.
Mercer has nearly a week off to prepare for in-state rival Georgia Southern as the team heads to Statesboro next Thursday, August 25 for a 4 p.m. kickoff.
