Mercer University
Elon
Men's Soccer Drops 3-2 Double OT Heartbreaker to Elon
9/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Senior midfielder Charles Howard scored a goal with just 47 seconds left in double overtime to give Elon a 3-2 win over Mercer on Friday afternoon as part of the UNC Wilmington Hilton Garden Inn Classic.
Elon (2-0-1) out-shot Mercer (0-2) 20-13 overall and held a 12-7 edge in shots on goal in the contest.
After a scoreless first half that didn't really feature much action for either side, the pace of play picked up immensely in the second stanza.
Senior Ehjayson Henry broke the scoreless tie with his first goal of the 2013 season when his shot from 24 yards out deflected off a defender and in the back of the net to give Mercer a 1-0 lead in the 72nd minute of play.
The lead was short lived for the Bears, however, as Elon tallied two goals over the next seven minutes of play to take a 2-1 lead with just 10 minutes left in the contest.
Just when things looked their bleakest, Henry came through yet again with his second goal of the contest. The Harris Village, Saint Kitts native received a pass from senior Ryan King and fired a shot that snuck past Elon goalkeeper Nathan Dean to tie the game at 2-2 with less than five minutes left in regulation.
Following a scoreless first overtime, Howard notched the game-winner in the final minute of the contest when he unleashed a shot that deflected off a defender and inside the right post to secure the 3-2 win for the Phoenix.
For Henry, the multi-goal performance was the second of his career. Mercer goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh made a season-high nine saves in a losing effort.
Mercer is back in action when it concludes play in the Hilton Garden Inn Classic when it takes on No. 24 UNC Wilmington on Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
