Bears Top Catamounts, 3-1, in Regular Season Finale

Thursday, April 1

Macon, Ga.

6:00 PM

Mercer University

8-9-1, 5-3-0

Western Carolina

4-7-0, 3-5-0

Western Caro.

Mercer

Photo by: Kurt Ebert

Bears Top Catamounts, 3-1, in Regular Season Finale

4/1/2021 9:44:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

All 10 seniors received playing time in their last match at Betts Stadium.

By: Kraig Doremus

Updated following release of SoCon tournament seeds

MACON, Ga. – All 10 seniors received playing time in their final match at Betts Stadium as the Mercer Bears topped the Western Carolina Catamounts, 3-1, in their regular season finale.

Mercer improved to 5-3 overall in Southern Conference action while the Catamounts fell to 3-5. The Bears earned a spot in the conference tournament due to Samford's win over UNCG on Saturday. The No. 4 Bears will travel to Samfrod on April 9. Match time is still TBD.

The Bears jumped out to a quick lead in the final match of the regular season, scoring a pair of goals in seven minutes. A foul in the box provided the Orange & Black a penalty kick opportunity in the sixth minute, and freshman Kendall Cook continued her stellar first collegiate season, placing the ball into the upper 90 past Melody Mezzina. 69 seconds later Ally Fordham gave the Bears a multi-goal lead with her ninth goal of the season. Pace Stephenson played the ball to Fordham off a deflection, and Fordham slid from six yards out to knock the ball past Mezzina who had fallen to her knees trying to scoop up the ball.

Mercer's starting backline of Kylie Buchanan, Madi Johnson, Brie Pavol and Lily Stauble held the Catamounts to only five shots in the first 45 minutes, and Jordyn Ebert easily saved Western Carolina's three tries that were on target.

The Bears did not relax in the second half, adding an insurance goal in the 48^th minute. Cook enhanced her statistics, finding Payton Schurr off a corner from the left side of the field. Schurr headed the ball into the lower corner of the net to put the contest out of reach for the visitors from Cullowhee, N.C.

Ebert stayed busy in the net, making five second half saves for the Orange & Black. The Bears had ample opportunities to net a fourth goal with eight shots following Schurr's goal but could not extend their lead.

Both Ebert and Payton Jamieson made numerous impressive saves in the net to keep the Catamounts out of contention for the victory. Ebert leapt to her feet and made a nifty two-handed grab with 30 minutes remaining to preserve the shutout. She made four additional stops in the half, while Jamieson, who played the final 10:59 of the contest, made two stops five minutes apart. Her first save came with 80 minutes remaining, and after Western Carolina's Aliyah Milicia scored, she prevented a second goal by the Catamounts with a stop in the 85^th minute.

Mercer took 17 shots over 90 minutes with Western Carolina managing 16 attempts. 11 of the Catamounts' 16 tries were on target, and the Bears placed eight shots on frame. The Bears held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks and left no doubt as to who would take home the victory thanks to a pair of early first half goals. Cook and Buchanan combined to take 10 of the Bears' 17 attempts. The Catamounts' Milicia placed all three of her shots on target and scored Western Carolina's lone goal of the contest in the 84^th minute.

Coach Tony Economopoulos Quotable

ON FINISHING THE REGULAR SEASON STRONG
"The team knew this was our last match of the regular season due to unforeseen circumstances, and I am proud of how we responded. It was a tough 24 hours knowing that we would not have a chance to play Saturday and potentially leaving points on the board. We had to control what we could control and that was the match against Western Carolina. I am extremely proud of how we came out and scored two goals in less than seven minutes. I challenged the team to come out strong in the second half and put the game away. We did that with a third goal and from that point on, I felt like it was our match. I am proud of the team. All the seniors got a chance to play for the final time in Betts Stadium."

NOTABLES

Fordham's goal was her team-leading ninth of the 2020-21 season. Her 19 points are third among Southern Conference student-athletes.
Fordham scored her 20^th career goal.
Cook took a career-high six attempts.
The freshman from Alpharetta, Ga., had three points in the win. She has recorded a point in five of Mercer's last six matches.
Cook's 20 points are the most on the team and are second among SoCon student-athletes behind The Citadel's Logan Dix.
Cook leads the team with six assists.
Schurr scored the fifth goal of her career and second of her junior campaign.
Ebert made eight saves in goal, bringing her season total to 88.
Coach Economopoulos won his 99^th match as Mercer's head coach.
All 10 seniors – Ebert, Fordham, Jamieson, Johnson, Pavol, Stauble, Sarah Adcock, Madeline Alhamra, Alina McCue and Rhette Cauilan – played in their final match at Betts Stadium.

UP NEXT
Samford's win over UNCG locked Mercer into the SoCon tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Orange & Black will travel to top-seeded Samford for a semifinal contest on April 9. Match time is TBD.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
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