Thursday, August 20
Macon, Ga.
7 p.m.
Mercer University
vs
Florida Atlantic
Bears Begin 2026 Campaign At Betts Against Florida Atlantic
8/19/2026 3:35:00 PM | Men's Soccer
MACON – The Mercer men's soccer team defends Betts Stadium from Florida Atlantic this Thursday evening in the 2026 regular season opener.
MATCH INFO
Date | Time: Thursday, August 20 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Opponent: Florida Atlantic (0-0-0, 0-0-0 American)
Location: Betts Stadium | Macon, Ga.
Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: Live Stats
Live Updates: X: @Mercer_MSoccer | Instagram: @mercermsoccer
SERIES HISTORY
Mercer leads the all-time series 10-6-2. The two programs last met in the 2014 Springhill Suites Invitational, a neutral-site matchup the Bears won, 3-0, to win the tournament due to Greg Ranjitsingh's seven saves and goals by Max Poore, Jourdan Gooden and Chandler Klemm.
PREVIEWING THE BEARS
Mercer retained 13 players from its squad that finished second in the Southern Conference with a 3-1-1 record in league play and a 5-9-4 overall record. The Bears earned the right to host the semifinals of the SoCon tournament before falling to UNC Greensboro.
Headlining the Bears' returners is Eli Bannister, a sophomore defender and a Preseason All-SoCon selection after finishing his freshman year with All-SoCon First Team and SoCon All-Freshman honors. In his first collegiate season, Bannister started in 16 of Mercer's 18 contests and finished fourth on the squad with seven points (two goals and three assists).
The Bears also retained Henry Hampshaw, Mercer's starting goalkeeper and an All-SoCon second teamer, Anthony Thambwe, a fifth-year defender who played a pivotal piece in the Bears' back line a year ago, Manza Masamuna and Will Taylor, a pair of sophomore midfielders who earned SoCon All-Freshman nods last season, Bryce Griffith, a fifth-year midfielder that finished tied for the most assists on the squad last year, and senior forward Ehi Aimiuwu, Mercer's second-leading goal scorer in 2025.
To pair along the Bears' returning pieces, Mercer added 13 newcomers to its roster over the offseason. AJ Pama, a senior transfer from Georgia Southern, spent the last three seasons as a key contributor on the Eagles' back line. Christopher Nezianya, a junior transfer from Tulsa, is a 6-foot-5 forward who helped the Golden Hurricane reach the semifinals of the American championship tournament for the first time since 2021. David Tirado, Anthony Herrera, Ryder Bishop and Wilson Maselle are a few names to watch as they begin their collegiate careers.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Florida Atlantic finished with a 12-4-2 record in 2025, claimed the American Conference Tournament Championship and a piece of the American Regular Season title to secure its first NCAA National Tournament appearance in program history.
The Owls retained nine players from last year's squad, including Alfred Mikkelsen, the American Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Mikkelsen tied FAU's single-season record with six clean sheets last season.
Alongside Mikkelsen, the Owls also retained junior defender David Roberts and senior midfielder Felipe Santos, who joined their keeper on the American Conference Preseason Watchlist.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20 at Betts Stadium. Admission is free. Thursday's match is set to be broadcast on ESPN+. You can follow along live here or by following us on socials: X: @Mercer_MSoccer | Instagram: @mercermsoccer.
MATCH INFO
Date | Time: Thursday, August 20 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Opponent: Florida Atlantic (0-0-0, 0-0-0 American)
Location: Betts Stadium | Macon, Ga.
Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: Live Stats
Live Updates: X: @Mercer_MSoccer | Instagram: @mercermsoccer
SERIES HISTORY
Mercer leads the all-time series 10-6-2. The two programs last met in the 2014 Springhill Suites Invitational, a neutral-site matchup the Bears won, 3-0, to win the tournament due to Greg Ranjitsingh's seven saves and goals by Max Poore, Jourdan Gooden and Chandler Klemm.
PREVIEWING THE BEARS
Mercer retained 13 players from its squad that finished second in the Southern Conference with a 3-1-1 record in league play and a 5-9-4 overall record. The Bears earned the right to host the semifinals of the SoCon tournament before falling to UNC Greensboro.
Headlining the Bears' returners is Eli Bannister, a sophomore defender and a Preseason All-SoCon selection after finishing his freshman year with All-SoCon First Team and SoCon All-Freshman honors. In his first collegiate season, Bannister started in 16 of Mercer's 18 contests and finished fourth on the squad with seven points (two goals and three assists).
The Bears also retained Henry Hampshaw, Mercer's starting goalkeeper and an All-SoCon second teamer, Anthony Thambwe, a fifth-year defender who played a pivotal piece in the Bears' back line a year ago, Manza Masamuna and Will Taylor, a pair of sophomore midfielders who earned SoCon All-Freshman nods last season, Bryce Griffith, a fifth-year midfielder that finished tied for the most assists on the squad last year, and senior forward Ehi Aimiuwu, Mercer's second-leading goal scorer in 2025.
To pair along the Bears' returning pieces, Mercer added 13 newcomers to its roster over the offseason. AJ Pama, a senior transfer from Georgia Southern, spent the last three seasons as a key contributor on the Eagles' back line. Christopher Nezianya, a junior transfer from Tulsa, is a 6-foot-5 forward who helped the Golden Hurricane reach the semifinals of the American championship tournament for the first time since 2021. David Tirado, Anthony Herrera, Ryder Bishop and Wilson Maselle are a few names to watch as they begin their collegiate careers.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Florida Atlantic finished with a 12-4-2 record in 2025, claimed the American Conference Tournament Championship and a piece of the American Regular Season title to secure its first NCAA National Tournament appearance in program history.
The Owls retained nine players from last year's squad, including Alfred Mikkelsen, the American Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Mikkelsen tied FAU's single-season record with six clean sheets last season.
Alongside Mikkelsen, the Owls also retained junior defender David Roberts and senior midfielder Felipe Santos, who joined their keeper on the American Conference Preseason Watchlist.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20 at Betts Stadium. Admission is free. Thursday's match is set to be broadcast on ESPN+. You can follow along live here or by following us on socials: X: @Mercer_MSoccer | Instagram: @mercermsoccer.
Players Mentioned
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M/D
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GK
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M
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M
/ Men's Soccer
M
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F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
M
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D
/ Men's Soccer
M
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