Wednesday, September 3
Macon, Ga.
7 p.m.
Mercer University
2-2-1, 0-0-0
1
vs
0
Georgia State
1-2-1, 0-0-0
1
2
F
Georgia St.
0
0
0
Mercer
0
1
1
Casillas’ Late Goal Stuns Panthers
9/3/2025 10:49:00 PM | Men's Soccer
MACON – A result nearly a decade in the making, the Mercer Bears (2-2-1) snatched a 1-0 win over Georgia State (1-2-1) in the final moments of Wednesday night's match at Betts Stadium. The Bears' mid-week victory is their first win over the Panthers since 2016.
Junior Casillas broke the deadlock in the 88th minute, rifling Liam Corr's rebound into the back of the net. In their first seasons in Macon, Casillas has two goals and three assists and Corr is not far behind him with a goal and two assists of his own.
Although the goal will be the moment that everyone talks about, Mercer would not have been in that position without the team's tremendous defensive performance.
Gavin Morgan and Anthony Thambwe smothered the Panthers' attackers. The centre back duo played the full 90 minutes, shutting down chance after chance.
Defender Ethan Buffone was the only other Bear to play the entire match and freshman Eli Bannister only took a quick breather and logged 89 minutes on Wednesday night.
Henry Hampshaw turned in yet another impressive performance between the posts. The sophomore transfer saved four shots and earned his second shutout and win at the Division I level.
The Bears continue their second homestand of the season this Sunday night when they welcome the South Florida Bulls to Betts Stadium.
Notables
Junior Casillas broke the deadlock in the 88th minute, rifling Liam Corr's rebound into the back of the net. In their first seasons in Macon, Casillas has two goals and three assists and Corr is not far behind him with a goal and two assists of his own.
Although the goal will be the moment that everyone talks about, Mercer would not have been in that position without the team's tremendous defensive performance.
Gavin Morgan and Anthony Thambwe smothered the Panthers' attackers. The centre back duo played the full 90 minutes, shutting down chance after chance.
Defender Ethan Buffone was the only other Bear to play the entire match and freshman Eli Bannister only took a quick breather and logged 89 minutes on Wednesday night.
Henry Hampshaw turned in yet another impressive performance between the posts. The sophomore transfer saved four shots and earned his second shutout and win at the Division I level.
The Bears continue their second homestand of the season this Sunday night when they welcome the South Florida Bulls to Betts Stadium.
Notables
- With Wednesday night's win, Mercer remains undefeated in 2025 at Betts. The Bears bolster a 2-0-1 record at home and have outscored opponents 6-1 in those matches.
- Timi Awe made his collegiate debut in the Bears' midweek matchup. Although the freshman's appearance was short, Awe's nine minutes were crucial to Mercer's win. The Dallas, Georgia, native uses his fresh legs to step in front of Samir-Mohamed Djeha's shot at the top of the 18-yard box to keep the match scoreless.
Team Stats
GSU
MER
Goals
0
1
Shots
14
9
Shots on Goal
4
3
Saves
1
4
Corners
2
3
Fouls
12
19
Scoring Plays
Junior Casillas (2)
Assisted By: Liam Corr
10 knocks in rebound off 8''s initial shot
87:50
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
D
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
D
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