Men's Soccer To Face UNCG in SoCon Semifinals
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
MACON, Ga. – The top-seeded Mercer men's soccer team will face No. 4 seed UNCG on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Southern Conference Tournament semifinals. The match will take place at the UNCG Soccer Stadium, the site of the 2014 SoCon Tournament.
The game will be streamed live on the SoCon Digital Network and can be found here, while live stats will be available here.
SCOUTING UNCG
The Spartans enter the game with a 6-11-2 mark and went 5-4-1 in regular season SoCon play. UNCG defeated ETSU, 2-1, in double overtime to advance to the semifinal match.
Christopher Reingen's four goals leads UNCG this season, while his eight points is tied for the team lead with Jacques Francois and Dustin Gamradt. Francois and Gamradt have both scored three goals and dished out two assists. Austin Miller and Tommi Gardarsson have also tallied three goals each for the Spartans.
In goal, William Pyle has made 66 saves and allowed 15 goals for a .815 save percentage and 1.18 goals-against average. Pyle is ranked second in the SoCon in save percentage and saves per game (5.5), while ranking No. 11 nationally in saves per game.
The Spartans' opponents have outscored them, 25-22, this season and have outshot them, 295-270. The UNCG defense has recorded four shutouts in 2014.
MERCER NOTES
The Bears won both of the regular season games against UNCG, winning 3-2 in Macon and securing a 2-1 win in double overtime in Greensboro, N.C. Mercer has a 13-6 record on the season and went 8-2 during league play, winning the SoCon regular season championship and Mercer's first SoCon title since joining the league earlier this year.
Mercer's 13 wins set a program record for most wins in a single-season; and Head Coach Brad Ruzzo was named the SoCon Coach of the Year on Nov. 11.
Mercer's is led by SoCon Freshman of the Year, Will Bagrou. Bagrou has scored 27 points off 11 goals and five assists, putting him at No. 8 nationally in total points and No. 10 in total goals. Max Poore is second on the team with four goals and two assists for 10 points, while Jordan Duru, Carson Brooks and Jourdan Gooden have all notched three goals this season.
Greg Ranjitsingh, the SoCon Goalkeeper of the Year, has played every minute between the pipes for Mercer. He has made 90 saves and allowed 19 goals for a .826 save percentage and a 0.98 GAA. Ranjitsingh leads the SoCon and is ranked No. 20 nationally in save percentage, while ranking second in the league and No. 9 nationally in total saves.
Mercer has outscored its opponents, 33-19, while outshooting them 266-247. The Bears have also recorded a league-leading nine shutouts this season.
For all the latest information on Mercer men's soccer, please visit MercerBears.com or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow Mercer soccer on Twitter at @Mercer_MSoccer or www.twitter.com/Mercer_MSoccer.
