Men's Soccer Takes on VMI on Tuesday
10/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's soccer team continues its three-game road swing on Tuesday, Oct. 13 when the Bears face VMI in Lexington, Va.
THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Teams: Mercer (7-5, 2-2 SoCon) vs. VMI (0-12, 0-4 SoCon)
Location: Lexington, Va. | Patchin Field
Tuesday, Oct. 13 – 4 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
Twitter Updates: @Mercer_MSoccer
LAST TIME OUT
Mercer picked up a 1-0 win over East Tennessee State on Saturday; the game was the Bears' first in league play that did not go to overtime. Will Bagrou scored for the Orange and Black in the 77th minute after the ETSU goalie corralled a cross, but dropped it after Conner Antley challenged him. The ball made its way to Bagrou, who made sure it also found the back of the net.
SERIES HISTORY
Mercer holds a 4-0 advantage in the series with VMI. Last season, the Bears recorded a 1-0 win over the Keydets in Lexington, as well as a 3-0 victory in Macon.
SCOUTING VMI
The Keydets have yet to register a win or a tie this season, and have been shutout in eight of their games, including two Southern Conference matches. Overall, VMI has been outscored, 36-5, and outshot, 281-66, this season.
David Harpen has tallied a goal and an assist for a team-leading three points. Four additional players have scored a goal to tie for second on the team with two points. Travis Borkey has fired off 12 shots, including seven on goal, to lead the Keydets in both categories.
VMI keeper Alex Guerra leads the league in total saves (90) as well as saves per game (7.5). Guerra has allowed 34 goals this season to register a 2.84 goals-against average in addition to his .726 save percentage.
MERCER NOTES
Conner Antley and Will Bagrou have each scored a team-high three goals this season, and Bagrou has added two assists to lead the Bears with a total of eight points. Antley has also tallied an assist to rank second for Mercer with seven points; while his three game-winning goals ranks him first in the SoCon and 17th nationally.
Jordan Duru and Jourdan Gooden are tied for third on the team with six points off two goals and two assists. Ian Antley and Kobe Perez have also dished out two assists, tying Bagrou, Duru and Gooden for the team lead in goals-to-be.
Jeremy Booth has notched 56 saves and allowed 14 goals while in goal for the Bears this season. He has a .800 save percentage, a 1.15 goals-against average and has recorded five shutouts thus far. Booth is second in the SoCon in save percentage, saves per game (4.67) and total saves. He also ranks 10th nationally in total saves and 25th in saves per game.
The Bears have gone 2-2 in SoCon play this season, with three of those games requiring extra minutes. Of Mercer's league-leading five shutouts, one has come in conference play.
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.
