Dykes' Late Winner Sends Mercer Past Wofford, 2-1

Sunday, October 27

Spartanburg, S.C.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

11-4-3, 5-2-2

Wofford

5-11-2, 1-7-1

Mercer

Wofford

Dykes' Late Winner Sends Mercer Past Wofford, 2-1

10/27/2024 5:34:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Lena Dykes scored in the 83rd minute for her second goal of the season

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Lena Dykes scored her second goal of the season on a fabulous shot in the 83rd minute to lift Mercer to a 2-1 win over Wofford to close out the regular season Sunday afternoon from Snyder Field in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Bears controlled the ball for most of the day and and had the better scoring chances, but needed a late game-winning goal from their defender to end the regular season on a high note. Mercer outshout Wofford, 26-9 including a 10-4 shots on goal advantage. Mercer finished conference play with a 5-2-2 record with 17 points, which is tied for third in the SoCon standings with Furman who the Bears opened conference play with in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Mercer jumped out to an early lead in the eighth minute as Jada Moorman pressured high up the field and forced Wofford to turn the ball over at the top of its box. Kendall Cook passed it back to Moorman who took a touch and a shot that went off the bottom of the crossbar and in the back of the net for her ninth goal of the season.

Wofford found an equalizer just before halftime as the Terriers' leading goal scorer Ines Obradovac scored inside the box for her ninth goal of the season as the two teams went into the break tied at one.

Mercer had some scoring chances in the second half including a shot from freshman defender Maggie Rollins which was saved and a header off a corner kick from Maria Karipidis that hit the side of the net. Then, in the 83rd minute, Larkin Thomason did well to control the ball off a throw in and slid a ball to the middle of the field for Dykes who took it first time and placed her shot over the Wofford goalie for her second game-winning goal of the season.

SCORING SUMMARY
8'	MERCER GOAL: Jada Moorman (9) ASSIST: Kendall Cook
41'	WOFFORD GOAL: Ines Obradovac (9) ASSIST: Satya Tarafdar
83'	MERCER GOAL: Lena Dykes (2) ASSIST: Larkin Thomason

TOP BEARS

+ Both of Lena Dykes' goals this season were game-winning goals in the final 10 minutes of the game. She played all 90 minutes in the win.
+ Jada Moorman got the scoring started and battled through a first half injury to still provide a scoring threat for the Bears in the second half.
+ Maria Karipidis and Kendall Cook each had five shots in the game which tied for the most on the team.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer finished 5-2-2 in conference play. It's five conference wins are the most since the 2021 season when the Bears went 5-3-0 in conference play.
+ Mercer improved to 11-0-1 all-time against Wofford.
+ Larkin Thomason led the SoCon in conference play with 14 points (5G, 4A).
+ Kendall Cook finished the regular season with a team best eight assists in 18 games which was tied for the most assists in the SoCon.

UP NEXT

The SoCon Tournament for the Bears starts on Friday, Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. when No. 4 Mercer takes on No. 5 Chattanooga from Cullowhee, North Carolina on the campus of SoCon champion Western Carolina.

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