Bears Fall In Overtime To Chattanooga, 3-2, In SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals

Friday, November 1

Cullowhee, N.C.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

11-5-3, 5-2-2

Chattanooga

7-9-3, 5-5-0

Chattanooga

Mercer

Bears Fall In Overtime To Chattanooga, 3-2, In SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals

11/1/2024 7:38:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Larkin Thomason scored both of Mercer's goals

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – In a tightly contested game that needed more than 90 minutes to decide the winner, the Mercer Bears dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to Chattanooga in the SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals Friday evening from the campus of Western Carolina.

Larkin Thomason scored both goals for the Bears and finished the season with 16 goals; the most by any Mercer player under coach Economopoulos in his 13 years in Macon.

The Mocs outshot the Bears 26-14 including a 9-5 shots on goal edge. Chattanooga scored the golden goal with less than one minute to play in the first of two possible 10 minute overtime periods.

Both of Chattanooga's goals came within a two-minute span in the first half. The Mocs' leading goal scorer, Caroline Richvalsky scored her seventh of the season to open the scoring in the 20th minute as she redirected a free kick into the net to put Chattanooga ahead. Then, in the 21st minute Chattanooga's EG Dillard took a shot down the left side that deflected off a Bears defender and looped over Lindsay Bell and into the goal.

Mercer got one back in the 32nd minute when Sara Engels took a throw in to Thomason who was strong on the ball and turned her defender in the box and struck a left-footed shot that beat the Mocs' goalie near post to make it a 2-1 game.

The Bears didn't take long in the second half to tie the game as in the 55th minute, a great hustle play from Jada Moorman to put pressure on a Chattanooga defender and win the tackle led to a great opportunity for Thomason who took a few touches and once again placed a left-footed shot this time to the far post to even the score at two.

Each team had a few decent scoring chances the remainder of the second half but ultimately the game went to overtime where the Mocs were able to find a game-winning goal in the 100th minute.

SCORING SUMMARY
20'	CHATTANOOGA GOAL: Caroline Richvalsky (7) ASSIST: Sophia Mize
21'	CHATTANOOGA GOAL: EG Dillard (1) ASSIST: None
32'	MERCER GOAL: Larkin Thomason (15) ASSIST: Sara Engels
55'	MERCER GOAL: Larkin Thomason (16) ASSIST: Jada Moorman
100'	CHATTANOOGA GOAL: Clarissa Salinas (3) ASSIST: Caroline Richvalsky, EG Dillard

TOP BEARS

+ After being named the SoCon Player of the Year, Thomason backed it up by doing what she did all season long and scored two more goals for a career best 16 goals on the season.
+ Chandler Lewis-Jenkins and Anna Bachman played well at outside back on a day in which they were tested as the pair used their speed and athleticism to prevent numerous through balls from leading to scoring opportunities for Chattanooga.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer concludes the season with an 11-5-3 overall record marking back-to-back 10+ win seasons.
+ It was the second SoCon Tournament game in the last three seasons for the Bears that went to overtime (2022 vs ETSU).
+ Five field players played the entire game (100 minutes) for the Bears: Kendall Cook, Maria Karipidis, Larkin Thomason, Chandler Lewis-Jenkins, and Maggie Rollins
+ The Mercer offense was one of the best in program history. The Bears scored 45 goals on the year, the most in a season since scoring 47 goals in 2014.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow Mercer Soccer on Twitter and Instagram and "Like" Mercer Soccer on Facebook.

SUPPORT THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.