MACON, Ga. – Following a pre-game ceremony honoring head coach Tom Melville’s 100th victory at Mercer, the Bears went toe-to-toe with Furman. The Paladins recorded a late goal, giving them a 1-0 win at Bear Field on Saturday afternoon in the A-Sun Match of the Week.
“Another one-goal game,” said Melville. “We worked hard for 80 minutes, made a soft pass in the midfield and allowed them (Furman) to score.”
The intense match was back-and-forth early on as each team mounted a few opportunities. Senior Mark McKeever had a shot sail wide and a header just off the mark in the first 12 minutes for the Bears.
Furman (5-4) junior Dominic Cianciarulo tested Mercer keeper Roberto Cronenbold twice in the next 10 minutes, but Cronenbold was up to the task each time making quality saves. Cronenbold registered six saves in the match.
The Bears (2-6-1) best opportunity in the first half came when sophomore Winton Wilks ran with the ball up the right side of the field, but his shot was saved by the Paladins net-minder Bryan Amos.