Mercer Women’s Soccer Takes on Florida Gulf Coast in A-Sun Championship Semifinals

MACON, Ga. (MERCER RELEASE) – In a rematch of the 2012 Atlantic Sun Championship title game, the fourth-seeded Mercer women’s soccer team meets top-seeded and host Florida Gulf Coast in the semifinals of the 2013 A-Sun Championship on November 8 at 7 p.m. at the FGCU Soccer Complex.

Mercer (10-7-3) has reached the title game of the A-Sun Championship in each of the last three seasons, defeating Jacksonville in 2010 before losing to FGCU (12-3-3) in 2011 and 2012.

Scouting the Opposition

FGCU is the host school for the 2013 A-Sun Championship as a result of winning the A-Sun regular season title for the fourth-straight season. The Eagles were well represented in the A-Sun postseason honors, placing a league-high eight players on either first or second team All-Conference. FGCU beat Mercer 3-1 in the only regular season meeting between the two schools this season and owns an 8-0-1 lead in the all-time series. The Eagles led the A-Sun with 41 goals this season due in large part of the play of A-Sun Freshman of the year Tabby Tindell, who led the league with 31 points and 14 goals scored.

Last Time Out

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 November 2.

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.

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.

Game Notes

– Senior Casey Barrett appeared in her 81st career game in Mercer’s A-Sun Championship first round win over Stetson on November 2. Barrett is now tied for 13th for the most games played in a career in A-Sun Conference history and already holds the record for the most games played by a Mercer player in program history. Barrett’s 13 career assists is also tied for the 10th-most in a career in program history.

– Mercer’s win over Stetson last time out 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.