Team Stats
VER
MER
Shots
33
40
Turnovers
21
21
Caused Turnovers
9
11
Faceoffs Won
8
20
Extra-Man Opps
7
5
Ground Balls
22
26
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned

Bears Fall To Catamounts In Overtime
2/4/2017 3:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
MACON, Ga. – Mercer dropped a heartbreaker in overtime to Vermont to open the 2017 season on Saturday. The Bears fell 13-12 to the Catamounts at Five Star Stadium.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Scott Baird scored first for Mercer, less than a minute into the game to spark the Bears' 4-0 opening run. Jake Nelson scored Mercer's second goal and Lucas Wittenberg added two of his own before Vermont found the back of the net to cut Mercer's lead to 4-2. Shawn Carter fired off a shot with just under a minute remaining in the quarter to make it 5-2 in Mercer's favor. Wittenberg opened the second period with this third goal of the day, followed by Nelson's second as Mercer stretched its lead to 7-2 with 10:30 left in the half. The Catamounts outscored the Bears 2-1 in the final 10 minutes as Mercer went to halftime with an 8-4 advantage.
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Vermont started its comeback in the third quarter, outscoring Mercer 3-2 and cutting the Bears' lead to 10-7 at the end of the period. Michael Quinn connected with Matt Quinn early in the fourth quarter to make it 11-7 with 12:21 to play. The Catamounts capitalized on a pair of man-up opportunities to bring the score to 11-9 less than three minutes later. Kevin Yoggy scored his second goal of the day, interrupting Vermont's momentum, but the Catamounts kept up the rally and scored three more goals to tie the game, 12-12, with 2:18 left on the clock. Neither team scored in the final minutes, sending the game to overtime.
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Vermont won the faceoff at the start of overtime and Mercer goalie Bradley Hodoval came up with a big save on the Catamounts' first shot of the period. The Bears turned the ball over at midfield, giving the Catamounts another look at goal and unfortunately this time Vermont was able to find the back of the net, ending the game and giving the Catamounts a 13-12 win.
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NOTABLES
"I have a lot of respect for Vermont, how they're coached and how they play. They definitely earned the game down the stretch. On our side, we're disappointed that we were in a position to beat a very good DI team and let that opportunity get away."
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RECORDS UPDATE
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter), /MercerMensLAX (Facebook) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Scott Baird scored first for Mercer, less than a minute into the game to spark the Bears' 4-0 opening run. Jake Nelson scored Mercer's second goal and Lucas Wittenberg added two of his own before Vermont found the back of the net to cut Mercer's lead to 4-2. Shawn Carter fired off a shot with just under a minute remaining in the quarter to make it 5-2 in Mercer's favor. Wittenberg opened the second period with this third goal of the day, followed by Nelson's second as Mercer stretched its lead to 7-2 with 10:30 left in the half. The Catamounts outscored the Bears 2-1 in the final 10 minutes as Mercer went to halftime with an 8-4 advantage.
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Vermont started its comeback in the third quarter, outscoring Mercer 3-2 and cutting the Bears' lead to 10-7 at the end of the period. Michael Quinn connected with Matt Quinn early in the fourth quarter to make it 11-7 with 12:21 to play. The Catamounts capitalized on a pair of man-up opportunities to bring the score to 11-9 less than three minutes later. Kevin Yoggy scored his second goal of the day, interrupting Vermont's momentum, but the Catamounts kept up the rally and scored three more goals to tie the game, 12-12, with 2:18 left on the clock. Neither team scored in the final minutes, sending the game to overtime.
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Vermont won the faceoff at the start of overtime and Mercer goalie Bradley Hodoval came up with a big save on the Catamounts' first shot of the period. The Bears turned the ball over at midfield, giving the Catamounts another look at goal and unfortunately this time Vermont was able to find the back of the net, ending the game and giving the Catamounts a 13-12 win.
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NOTABLES
- Lucas Wittenberg led Mercer with three goals, four points and 10 shots. Wittenberg recorded his third career hat trick and moved into 10th place on Mercer's career points list (28).
- Jake Nelson tallied two goals and an assist for three points.
- Shawn Carter and Kevin Yoggy each had a pair of goals for the Bears.
- Matt Quinn notched a goal and three ground balls, while Scott Baird had a goal and a ground ball.
- Will McCarthy added a goal, while Joshua Adams, Patrick deHueck and Michael Quinn each had an assist.
- Jake Sadd led Mercer with five ground balls and added a caused turnover. Kiel Brennan was second for the Bears with four ground balls.
- On the faceoff X, both Will Beecham went 11-for-14 and Brennen was 9-for-14.
- Willy Deines, Walker Ensor and O'Brien led Mercer with two caused turnovers apiece.
- Bradley Hodoval made his collegiate debut between the pipes, making 11 saves on the day.
- Mercer led Vermont in ground balls, 26-22, and in faceoff wins, 20-8.
- The Bears were 16-for-18 on clears, while Mercer's ride made an impact on Vermont as the Catamounts were 15-for-20 on clears, including a 6-for-10 mark in the first half.
"I have a lot of respect for Vermont, how they're coached and how they play. They definitely earned the game down the stretch. On our side, we're disappointed that we were in a position to beat a very good DI team and let that opportunity get away."
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RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer: 0-1, 0-0 SoCon
- Vermont: 2-0, 0-0 America East
- Mercer: vs. Detroit Mercy on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. in Lexington, Ky.
- Vermont: Hosts Holy Cross on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter), /MercerMensLAX (Facebook) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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