Bears Drop Conference Opener to Air Force

Saturday, March 4

Macon, Ga.

12 p.m.

Mercer University

1-4

Air Force

3-2

AFA

MER

3/4/2023 8:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's lacrosse program lost 14-8 to Air Force in the ASUN Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium. The Bears move to 1-4 on the season and 0-1 in ASUN play. Air Force moves to 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in ASUN play.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons would open scoring after the first face-off of the game. The Bears would answer 10 minutes later in the first quarter off a dodge down the alley by senior midfielder Khory Reid. Reid would be the only Bear to score in the first quarter. Air Force would go on to score one more time in the quarter, making the 2-1 heading into the second.

The Falcons would score 3 unanswered goals in the second to go up 5-1 heading into halftime.

The Falcons would continue their run scoring two to start the second half. However, the Bears would answer quickly with an unassisted goal from Michael Frederick. The Falcons would answer back with a goal of their own, but Mercer continued to fight. Garrett LeClaire would force a turnover and scoop up a ground ball and start a fast break. During the break he fed Carl Klepper who scored on a 10-yard step down shot. The Falcons would continue to score, scoring two more following Klepper's goal. The Bears would close out the third quarter with two goals. The first, Parker Junod had his defender hung up on the goal and found a cutting Taylor Dooley who was able to find the back of the net. The second goal would come from Carl Klepper off the Dooley assist. The score was 10-5 heading into the fourth.

The Bears would open scoring in the fourth with Connor Panebianco goal off a dodge from the sideline. The Bears would score again off a quick dodge into the middle of the field from the endline from Khory Reid. Reid finished the game with two goals. Klepper would complete his hat trick off a Dooley assist. The Falcons would end the game on a four-goal run pushing the score to 14-8 to end the game.

Senior goalie Colin Kelley finished the game with nine saves and graduate student Aston Wood went 16-25 (.640) from the face-off x.

UP NEXT: The Bears will face Richmond in a midweek matchup on Tuesday, March 7 in Richmond, VA.

FOLLOW THE BEARS:
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