Women’s Soccer Opens SoCon Play With VMI and UNCG

Friday, September 27

Lexington, Va.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

VMI

Women’s Soccer Opens SoCon Play With VMI and UNCG

9/26/2019 4:39:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Mercer heads to VMI and UNCG this weekend to Open SoCon action

By: Travis Rae

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women's soccer squad travels to Lexington, Va. and Greensboro, N.C. to open SoCon play this weekend. The Bears open SoCon action at VMI at 4 p.m. on Friday and play UNCG at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

FRIDAY'S MATCHUP
Date | Time: Friday, Sept. 27 | 4 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (8-1-0, 0-0-0 SoCon) at VMI (1-7-1, 0-0-0 SoCon)
Location: Lexington, Va. | Patchin Field
Live Stats: stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=270882
Watch: ESPN3
Twitter Updates: @MercerWSoccer

SUNDAY'S MATCHUP
Date | Time: Sunday. Sept. 29 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (8-1-0, 0-0-0 SoCon) at UNCG (3-5-1, 0-0-0 SoCon)
Location: Greensboro, N.C. | UNCG Soccer Stadium
Live Stats: stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=265729
Watch: SoCon Digital Network
Twitter Updates: @MercerWSoccer

SERIES HISTORY | LAST MEETING
Mercer is 5-1 all-time against VMI. In the last matchup (2018), the Bears came away with a 2-1 victory over VMI. Mercer is 1-6-1 against UNCG. Last year, the Bears were defeated by the Spartans, 2-1.

NOTABLES

Mercer's 36 shots in the Gardner-Webb match are the most by the Bears since recording 37 against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31, 2014.
The 8-1 start to the 2019 season is the best start by a Mercer team in recorded history.
Mercer is currently on a seven-game winning streak. The seven-game winning streak is the fifth-longest win streak in the NCAA.
Nicole Icen ranks third in the SoCon goals scored. She has five goals this season. Her last goal came on Sept. 22 against Alabama State.
Mercer has four shutouts this season. The Bears recorded three straight shutouts from Sept. 13 to Sept. 20.
Mercer ranks second in the SoCon in goals per game with a 2.33 goal per game average.

SCOUTING THE KEYDETS
The Keydets enter Friday's contest coming off a 3-0 loss to Liberty, on Sept. 22, 2019. VMI is 1-7-1 on the season, and are led by Chris Haught-Thompson, who is in his first year. He was hired on Feb. 1, 2019, to lead the program. The Keydets have scored four goals this year, and four different players have scored. Noelle Heilpern anchors the net for the Keydets as she has started and appeared in every contest. Heilpern is allowing 1.41 goals-against average.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
The SoCon Preseason favorites, UNCG, enters this weekend with a record of 3-5-1. The Spartans open SoCon play on Friday with The Citadel. UNCG is led by Michael Coll, who is in his fifth year leading the Spartans. Five players have scored two goals this season for the Spartans, which leads the team. Gabi Santora and Jordin Mosley led the team with three assists each. The Spartans have played three goalies this season and Abby Buchholz leads the team. She has appeared in seven games. Buchholz is giving 2.46 goals-against average.

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.