Men's Soccer Begins SoCon Play at UNCG
9/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's soccer team will opens Southern Conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at UNC Greensboro. The Bears and the Spartans will kickoff at 7 p.m. in the first conference match for either team.
THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Teams: Mercer (5-3) vs. UNCG (4-4-1)
Location: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Soccer Stadium
Tuesday, Sept. 29 – 7 p.m. ET | Live Stats | Video
Twitter Updates: @Mercer_MSoccer
LAST TIME OUT
Mercer closed out the non-conference slate with a 1-0 win over Lipscomb on Saturday night, as Conner Antley scored the game winner in the 78th minute to hand the Bears the fifth win in their last six contests.
SERIES HISTORY
The series record between Mercer and UNCG is tied at 3-3. The teams faced off three times last season, with Mercer winning all three games. Two of the matches went into double overtime, including the SoCon Tournament semi-final game, which Mercer won in the 103rd minute off a goal from Will Bagrou.
SCOUTING UNCG
The Spartans notched a 4-4-1 record in non-conference play, including a 3-3 tie against South Carolina. Three of UNCG's games this season have gone into double overtime, while a fourth has had to go into a first overtime period.
The Spartans are led offensively by Damieon Thomas and Leeroy Maguraushe, who have notched four goals each. Thomas has added an assist to tally a team-leading nine points. Jacques Francois leads UNCG with three assists and has recorded a goal to total five points. As a team, UNCG has outscored its opponents 13-11.
Logan Rohde anchors a Spartan defense that has registered three shutouts this season. Rohde has made 30 saves and allowed 11 goals for a .732 save percentage and 1.114 goals-against average in his first season in goal for UNCG.
MERCER NOTES
Conner Antley leads the Mercer attack with three goals and six points this season. All three of Antley's goals have been game-winning scores, which puts him at the top of the SoCon standings. Jourdan Gooden has notched two goals and two assists to tie Antley with a total of six points.
Will Bagrou and Jordan Duru have each tallied a goal and two assists for a total of four points and are tied for third on the team. Additionally, eight more players have either scored a goal or dished out an assist, meaning 12 players have played a hand in Mercer's scoring this season.
Jeremy Booth has notched 37 saves and allowed 10 goals while between the pipes for the Bears this season. He has a .787 save percentage, a 1.25 goals against average and has recorded four shutouts thus far. Booth is currently second in the SoCon in total saves and 20th nationally.
Mercer's defense leads the league with four shutouts so far this season. The Bears have gone 5-1 in September, and all four shutouts have come in Mercer's last five games. Mercer also outscored its opponents, 9-4, in September.
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.
