Mercer hosts VMI in Southern Conference play

The Mercer men’s soccer team is right in the hunt for its second Southern Conference regular-season championship, and the Bears host VMI at 7 p.m. on Saturday as they keep up that chase.

Mercer is 10-5 overall and 5-2 in the conference, and it is tied with UNC Greensboro for second place in the conference with 15 points. East Tennessee State (16 points) leads the way, and all three teams won Tuesday with the end of the regular season coming next week.

Mercer is the only team in the conference with double-digit wins in overall play. VMI is 0-13 and 0-7 in conference play.

Saturday will serve as Mercer’s senior day as the program will recognize its four seniors — Ian Antley, Jordan Duru, Max Poore and Nickolas Tripodi — before the game. Mercer has 40 wins during their careers, including claiming the 2014 Southern Conference regular-season title.

Mercer has defeated VMI in all eight of their head-to-head matches, including a 2-0 victory Oct. 8 in Lexington, Virginia. The Bears are 5-1 at home, including 3-0 in conference play.

Will Bagrou is fifth in the conference with 14 points, while Conner Antley has 12. Duru has scored three goals, and all three have been game-winning goals.

Goalkeeper Jeremy Booth has recorded three shutouts and ranks second in the conference in goals against average (1.12 per game).

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Mercer hosts VMI in Southern Conference play."