Bucs cannot capitalize on 10-7 shot advantage in heartbreaking defeat to Mercer

MACON, Ga. (October 22, 2011) – Carl-Oscar Andersson scored his first goal of the season at the worst time for the ETSU men’s soccer team, as the Bucs conceded a 79th-minute goal and fell, 1-0, to Mercer on Saturday night at Bear Field.

“It’s obviously a disappointing result,” said ETSU head coach Scott Calabrese. “It was a strange game because we created quite a few chances and I thought we were in control for large portions of the game, but if you fail to convert those chances then you leave yourself susceptible to a mistake which cost us the game.”

A scoreless game with less than 12 minutes to play in regulation, Andersson received a back pass off touches by teammates Joey Heavner and Matt Brazer before slipping a shot past redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Coulter (Dublin, Ireland) to give Mercer the late lead.

The Bears (7-6-2, 2-3-1 A-Sun) held on to fend off three shots and two corners from ETSU (8-5-2, 2-4-1 A-Sun) through the final 11 minutes, as the Bucs now need a victory in their final conference game and some favorable results to get the chance to defend their title in Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Sophomore David Geno (Kingsport, Tenn.) got things going in the seventh minute with the game’s first shot which sailed wide. Mercer’s first attack did not come until the 16th minute, when they had back-to-back corners cleared away by the ETSU defense.

Coulter saved his first shot midway through the half, when Ryan King got an opportunity and fired the Bears’ first attempt of the contest. The sophomore goalkeeper finished the game with two saves.

Geno responded with ETSU’s first shot on goal, but Greg Ranjitsingh was there for the first of his four saves on the night.

ETSU and Mercer took a scoreless game and a 3-3 shot count into the locker rooms.

10 minutes into the new period, Mercer put a great chance at goal off their fourth corner attempt of the contest. Heavner sent in the Bears’ corner and found Andersson in the box for a shot, but his attempt was saved by the ETSU defense standing at the goal line.

Following another Mercer corner, ETSU took control with the match’s next four shots and three corners. The sequence included blocked shots taken by senior Aaron Schoenfeld (Knoxville, Tenn.) and junior Alesi Osorio (Austin, Texas), as well as an attempt from sophomore Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria), but nothing led to a goal and the Bucs remained in search of a score.

In the 79th minute, Mercer suddenly struck with a turnover on the ETSU side of midfield. Heavner took the ball and sent in a cross which hit off of Brazer and fell to Andersson in the box. Andersson finished the opportunity as ETSU saw the game slip away.

ETSU has one more chance to climb back into the A-Sun Tournament hunt next Saturday against USC Upstate at 1 p.m. First, ETSU welcomes Clemson to Summers-Taylor Stadium on Monday at 7 p.m.

For more information on ETSU men’s soccer please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s soccer links.