Mercer To Open SoCon Play Against Air Force

MACON, Ga. – After a successful two-game road trip, Mercer is back in Macon and ready to start Southern Conference play on Saturday. The Bears will host Air Force at 1 p.m. in the league opener for both teams.

The broadcast will be carried on the American Sports Network (ASN) and will be simulcast on ESPN3 and via the Watch ESPN app (blackout restrictions apply). ASN Coverage can be found here.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Saturday, March 17 | 1 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (3-3, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Air Force (4-3, 0-0 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Five Star Stadium
Game Notes: Mercer | Air Force
Live Stats: MercerBears.com | Video: ASN and ESPN3
Twitter Updates: @MercerLacrosse

DOMINATING THE FACEOFF X
Mercer has started the season very strong at the faceoff X, currently ranking second in the SoCon with a 57.9 winning percentage. After winning 10-of-12 faceoffs at Wagner, Kiel Brennan is now ranked second in the SoCon and 15th nationally with a 59.7 winning percentage.

OFFENSE OUTPUT
Mercer is averaging 8.00 goals per game thus far, ranking the Bears sixth in the league in scoring offense. Mercer is also sixth in the league with 12.67 points per game and 4.67 assists per game.

MAKE IT, TAKE IT
In addition to performing well offensively, Mercer is leading the SoCon and ranks ninth nationally with 8.83 caused turnovers per game. Walker Ensor leads Mercer with nine caused turnovers this far.

ALL CLEAR
Mercer is 91-113 on clears so far this season, notching an 86.7 clear percentage. The Bears are currently fifth in the conference and 36th nationally in clear percentage.

HODOVAL BETWEEN THE PIPES
Bradley Hodoval has spent a majority of the time between the pipes this season, having played the entirety of the four complete games. After making a career-high 14 saves against Wagner, Hodoval has a .531 save percentage and an 9.08 goals-against average. He currently ranks fourth in the league and 29th nationally in save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY
Air Force leads the series with a 6-0 mark, including a 3-0 record in Macon. The last two games have been those with the smallest margin of victory for the Falcons. In 2015, Air Force won 10-7 and last year the final score was 15-13.

SCOUTING AIR FORCE
Air Force is 4-3 on the season, including an 11-10 win over No. 10 Duke. The Falcons were ranked early in the season but fell out of the rankings after losing to No. 19 Boston University on March 4.

Nick Hruby leads the Falcons with 17 goals and 24 points. He is also second in the SoCon in goals per game and individual man-up goals, while ranking fourth in points per game. Chris Walsch is second for Air Force with 23 points and 15 goals, while leading the team with eight assists.

Trent Harper leads the team with 32 ground balls and is third in the SoCon with a 59.3 faceoff winning percentage. Harper is 54-of-91 at the faceoff X. Brandon Jones has notched a team-leading seven caused turnovers and is fourth on the team with 17 ground balls.

Paxton Boyer has spent a majority of time in goal for the Falcons. Boyer has made 49 saves and allowed 58 goals for a .458 save percentage and 8.43 GAA.

How to Follow the Bears:
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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Players Mentioned

Kiel Brennan

Walker Ensor

Bradley Hodoval

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