Mercer Women’s Soccer Downs Stetson 1-0 in First Round of A-Sun Championship

MACON, Ga. (MERCER RELEASE) – In the first Atlantic Sun Women’s Soccer Championship match ever played at Bear Field, the fourth-seeded Mercer women’s soccer team made a statement with a 1-0 shutout win over fifth-seeded Stetson on Saturday evening.

Mercer (10-7-3, 4-3-2 A-Sun) now moves on to the A-Sun Championship semifinals where it will take on top-seeded and host Florida Gulf Coast on November 8 at 7 p.m.

Saturday night’s win also made history for the Bears because it was their 23rd victory over the past two seasons which is a new program record for most wins over a two-year span.

After a few near misses on shooting free kick chances by junior Lauren Gassie, the Winter Park, Fla. native made sure she delivered a good ball on the Bears last set piece of the first half. Gassie sent in a corner kick that senior Sadie Curry managed to head into the back of the net to give the Bears a 1-0 lead with just 32 seconds left in the first half.

The goal for Curry is her second goal this season, both of which came against the Hatters, and only the third tally of her career at Mercer.

The Bears dominated play throughout the second half and nearly had a second goal, but senior Casey Barrett’s breakaway attempt was turned aside by Stetson goalkeeper Amber Law.

In the end, the one goal would be enough as Mercer goalkeeper Maggie Cropp needed to make just two saves to preserve the win and her fourth shutout of the season.

With tonight appearance, Barrett has now played in 81 career contests at Mercer which moves her into a tie for the 13th-most games played in A-Sun Conference history.