Mercer Heads To Samford For First SoCon Road Game

MACON, Ga. – The Bears are on the road for the first time in Southern Conference play as the Mercer women's soccer team is set to take on Samford on Friday, Sept. 30 in Birmingham, Alabama.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Teams: Mercer (3-6-1, 1-1-0 SoCon) vs. Samford (5-3-2, 1-1-0 SoCon)
Location: Birmingham, Ala. | Samford Soccer Stadium
Friday, Sept. 30 – 7 p.m. CT | Live stats | Video
Twitter Updates: @MercerWSoccer

LAST TIME OUT
Maddie Clark netted a hat trick on Sunday as Mercer downed ETSU, 3-2, to improve to 1-1 in SoCon play. The Bears got behind, 2-1, after an ETSU goal in the 70^th minute, but Clark scored in the 76^th and 82^nd minute to put Mercer back on top and secure the win.

SERIES HISTORY
Samford owns an 8-2-3 record in the series history. In the last two seasons, Samford has won 1-0 in the regular season, but Mercer has advanced in the SoCon Tournament. In 2014, Mercer defeated Samford, 2-1, in the SoCon Championship match. Last season, the Bears and the Bulldogs tied, 1-1, in the SoCon semifinal, but Mercer advanced to the championship match on PKs.

SCOUTING SAMFORD
Samford also opened SoCon play with a 1-1 record last weekend, defeating Wofford, 5-0, and falling to Furman, 3-2. The Bulldogs also have a 4-1 record at home so far this season.

Jermaine Seoposenwe leads Samford with six goals and 16 points, while Malcanisha Kelley has notched a team-leading five assists and added four goals to total 13 points. Seoposenwe leads the conference and ranks 29^th nationally in points per game (1.78), while ranking second in the league in total points. Additionally, Kelley leads the SoCon and ranks 30^th nationally in total assists. Taylor Borman has tallied four goals and three assists for a total of 11 points thus far.

Anna Maddox and Katie Peters have split time in goal this season, as Maddox has played 388 minutes, made 13 saves and allowed three goals for a .812 save percentage and 0.69 goals-against average. Peters has recorded 566 minutes in goal, made 22 saves and allowed 11 goals for a .667 save percentage and 1.75 GAA.

As a team, Samford has outscored opponents, 21-14, this season and of the Bulldogs' 21 goals, only one has been unassisted. Samford's defense has also tallied five shutouts this season.

MERCER NOTES
After her hat trick in Sunday's win over ETSU, Maddie Clark leads Mercer and the SoCon with seven goals and 0.70 goals per game, while ranking 32^nd nationally in total goals and 39^th in goals per game. Clark is also third in the conference in points per game (1.50) and fourth in total points (15).

Logan Culver and Abbey Reddig have each scored a pair of goals for the Bears, totaling four points. Caroline Smith has notched a team leading three assists, while Jamilah Tejan has recorded two assists.

Cristina Mursuli has spent a majority of time in goal for Mercer, including both 90 minutes for both the Western Carolina and ETSU matches. Mursuli has made 38 saves and allowed 15 goals for a .717 save percentage and 1.94 GAA. Mercer's defense has tallied three shutouts this season.

As a team, Mercer has scored 16 goals, while the Bears' opponents have scored 17 goals. Eleven of Mercer's goals have been assisted and the Bears are 3-of-4 on penalty kicks.

How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Soccer, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWSoccer (Twitter), /MercerWSoccer (Facebook) and @MercerWSoccer (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.

Mercer Heads To Samford For First SoCon Road Game

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Players Mentioned

Maddie Clark

Logan Culver

Cristina Mursuli

Abbey Reddig

Caroline Smith

Jamilah Tejan

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