Mercer Blanks Runnin' Bulldogs In Opener

Thursday, August 26

Macon, Ga.

6:00 PM

Mercer University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Gardner-Webb

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Gardner-Webb

Mercer

8/26/2021 8:26:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Bears take 4-0 decision over Gardner-Webb

By: Will Vaught

MACON, Ga. -- Mercer used two, two-goal halves to put away Gardner-Webb 4-0 in a humid, muddy season opener at Betts Stadium on Thursday evening.

For the entirety of the match, the Bears pressed onto the Runnin' Bulldogs' defense and got onto the scorebook early, and quite often.

A quarter-hour in, Mercer opened the scoring when Dylan Gaither buried a penalty kick following a hard foul on Trevor Martineau inside the Gardner-Webb 18-yard box. Not content with a one-goal advantage, Martineau converted on a screamer from well beyond the penalty area to double lead at the 25-minute mark on an assist from Gaither.

Just five minutes following the intermission, the Orange & Black tripled the lead when Martineau found the back of the net to make it a 3-0 scoreline when he was assisted by Natnael McDonald. When the hour-mark passed, Ousman Jabang made a highlight-reel, goal-line save to keep Gardner-Webb off of the board to preserve the three-goal advantage. More than 20 minutes later in the 83rd, Gaither, a junior forward from Lilburn, Georgia, completed his hat trick when he was assisted from Michael Ille and Angel Gonzalez for the final score of the contest to secure the 4-0 result.

Brant Zulauf, the sophomore keeper from Alpharetta, Georgia, saved all four shots on goal from the Gardner-Webb attackers in the entirety of the contest. Jabang's goal-saving slide on the boundary was the fifth of the contest for the Bears.

MU made the most of their opportunities on attack, as they outshot GWU 11-9. Both of Mercer's first half shots were converted for their first half scores. Of the 11 shots taken by the Bears, nine were on target.

The 4-0 win is the biggest season-opening win since a 2-0 win over Georgia State in August 2014. Mercer has won two of their last three season openers.

With the win by the Orange & Black, the Bears take the edge in the all-time series over Gardner-Webb, 3-2-1. When in Macon, the series is now deadlocked at a win, a loss and draw for each side.

Mercer will welcome in-state foe, Georgia State, to close out the quick, two-game season-opening homestand. The contest will be at 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 29 at Betts Stadium.