Bears Drop Game, 2-0 At Home To No. 17 Georgia

Sunday, August 30

Macon, Ga.

6 p.m.

Mercer University

3-3-0, 0-0-0

Georgia

3-1-2, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Georgia	1	1	2
Mercer	0	0	0

Bears Drop Game, 2-0 At Home To No. 17 Georgia

8/30/2026 9:37:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

It was the first time the Bears hosted Georgia since 2010

MACON, Ga. – Hosting a top 25 team in the 17th ranked Georgia Bulldogs for the first time since 2010, the Mercer women's soccer team was unable to put away any of its scoring chances as the Bulldogs came out with a 2-0 win over the Bears Sunday night from Betts Stadium.

Georgia entered the game allowing just four goals in five games on the season, and was able to keep the Bears off the scoresheet for the first time this season.

Georgia outshot Mercer, 22-6 and had nine shots on goal to one for the Bears.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring early, as in the fifth minute Kiera Staude took a low shot from just outside the box that was saved by a diving Avery Parker who was making her first start of the season. However, Georgia's Mya Townes was the first player to get to the loose ball off the Parker save and scored her third goal of the season to give Georgia an early 1-0 lead. Townes was originally called offside, but after review was overturned to a goal.

The Bears played out the second half with strong defense and created a few chances going forward but the score remained 1-0 at halftime.

Mercer created its best scoring chance of the game in the 50th minute when Marianna Rapani raced down the middle of the field with ball, drawing two Bulldog defenders to her before sliding a pass over to Olivia Bori who took a touch at the top of the box before taking a left-footed shot right next to the penalty spot that hit the sprawling Georgia goalie, Jordan Brown in the chest for an important save to keep the Bulldogs in front.

Neither side could create many more scoring chances until the 74th minute when Georgia's Mary Hartofilis took a shot from outside 20 yards that curled into the top left corner of the goal to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.

The score remained the same over the final 16 minutes as Georgia picked up its third win of the season.

SCORING SUMMARY
5'	GEORGIA GOAL: Mya Townes (3) ASSISTS: Kiera Staude
74'	GEORGIA GOAL: Mary Hartofilis (1) ASSISTS: Sage Glover, Grayson Rogers

NOTABLES

+ Mercer hosted Georgia for the first time since 2010.
+ Avery Parker made her first start of the season in goal, she made a career high seven saves.
+ Five of Mercer's starting 10 field players played the full 90 minutes.
+ Olivia Bori led Mercer with two shots and one on goal.

UP NEXT

Mercer heads back on the road to take on Winthrop, Thursday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET from Rock Hill, South Carolina.

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