Mercer Drops Tight Game To Western Carolina, 2-1

Sunday, September 21

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

5-4-1, 0-1-1

Western Carolina

5-3-3, 1-0-1

Western Caro.

Mercer

Mercer Drops Tight Game To Western Carolina, 2-1

9/21/2025 5:57:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Morganne Eikelbarner scored Mercer's goal

MACON, Ga. – Morganne Eikelbarner scored a team high tying sixth goal of the season, but Mercer couldn't hold on to a one goal lead in a 2-1 loss to defending Southern Conference champion Western Carolina Sunday afternoon from Betts Stadium.

In a competitive game, the Catamounts used two second half goals and held off the Bears from scoring a game-tying goal to earn the conference win.

Western Carolina outshot Mercer 17-10 including a 9-5 shots on goal advantage. The Bears did have a season high 10 corner kicks to five for the Catamounts, but the Bears were unable to capitalize on any of them.

Mercer struck first in the 16th minute as Maria Karipidis played a ball out wide right to Anna Bachman who crossed a ball into the box where Eikelbarner was able to redirect the ball into the bottom left corner for her sixth goal of the season which put the Bears in front 1-0.

Both teams had a few more chances in the remainder of the first half but the score remained 1-0 Mercer heading into halftime.

Western Carolina was able to level the score shortly out of the intermission in the 50th minute as the Catamounts used a counterattack to catch the Bears having to quickly transition to defense and Western Carolina's Samantha Whitaker slid a pass to the left side of the box where Abbie Wise too a left-footed shot that found the top right corner to tie the game at one.

In the 69th minute following a Mercer clearance from a Catamounts corner, Western Carolina's Wise crossed a ball to the top of the 6-yard box where Rylie Niemeyer was able to get her head to the ball before a Mercer defender and beat Mercer goalie Lindsay Bell to the far right post to give Western Carolina a 2-1 lead.

Mercer had a few scoring chances in the closing minutes, including a shot from Bachman from the right wing that nearly found its way under the crossbar, but Western Carolina goalie Leanne Trudel got a hand on the ball to tip it over the crossbar.

SCORING SUMMARY
16'	MERCER GOAL: Morganne Eikelbarner (6) ASSIST: Anna Bachman, Maria Karipidis
50'	WESTERN CAROLINA GOAL: Abbie Wise (1) ASSISTS: Samantha Whitaker, Isabella DeMarco
69'	WESTERN CAROLINA GOAL: Rylie Niemeyer (1) ASSISTS: Abbie Wise

NOTABLES

+ Mercer had a season high 10 corner kicks to five for Western Carolina.
+ Morganne Eikelbarner scored her sixth goal of the season, tying Payton Nutzman for the team lead.
+ Lindsay Bell had seven saves in goal.
+ Kelsie Henton led Mercer with two shots on goal.

UP NEXT

Mercer returns home to welcome ETSU to Macon for a Friday night conference battle. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. from Betts Stadium.

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