LEXINGTON, Va.- In the first-ever meeting between the Mercer Bears and VMI, the Keydets fought hard, scoring the first goal of the match, but could not fight back from two unanswered goals in the first half as VMI fell to Mercer 2-1 in a non-conference matchup Friday afternoon at Patchin Field.
The Keydets (0-6-1) controlled the majority of early opportunities, as sophomore Matt Seinfeld, who leads the Big South with 25 shots on goal this season, had an open shot from 25-yards out that sailed narrowly wide of the frame in the eighth minute.
Seinfeld's buildup paid off in the 10th minute, as freshman Chase Barnett sent a through ball down the left flank. The masterful ball found senior Brian Harding inside the six-yard box, and Harding found the lower left portion of the goal, giving the Keydets their first goal in the opening half of play this season.
Mercer (4-1-1) knotted the match up in the 16th minute, as the attacking combination of Joshua Ball found Ian Cameron inside the six on a give-and-go. Cameron remained collected in the area with possession, and slipped a shot in lower left to even up the contest at 1-1 with 74 minutes of action left to go.
Mercer would tack on the final goal of the match in the 23rd minute on an outstanding individual effort by midfielder Ryan King, who collected a loose ball on the right side, and fired a shot from 40-yards out into the top-right corner of the goal to give the Bears the 2-1 advantage.
VMI keeper Brian Sowell then made the first of three spectacular saves on the afternoon prior to the half, diving to his right to make a point-blank save on a Richie Edmonson shot inside the area to keep the score at 2-1.
Having been outshot 9-6 in the opening half, VMI turned up the offensive pressure. After another outstanding save by Sowell in the 60th minute inside the 18, Seinfeld and senior Zach Morgan had long-range tries that sailed high of the mark.
A midfield battle then ensued in the middle portion of the second half, but was broken up by a Harding shot in the 68th minute and sailed narrowly left, and a Jacob McIntyre opportunity that was blocked by the Mercer defense moments later.
VMI's final solid opportunity came with 13:52 remaining, as Seinfeld broke free on the left flank and ripped a rocket that missed the top-right corner of the net by the slightest of margins.
The afore mentioned Sowell was spectacular, tying a season-high with eight saves, and kept the Keydets in the match. Mercer keeper Brett Petricek allowed one goal, and made a pair of saves in the win.
The Keydets will now enjoy a nine day break prior to opening Big South play, as VMI will host Coastal Carolina on Sun., Oct. 3 from Patchin Field. As always, live stats will be available via VMIKeydets.com.
