Aug. 30, 2016
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina (0-2-0) rallied from down 2-0 Tuesday night but fell 3-2 to Mercer (2-0-0) in overtime at Stone Stadium. The Gamecocks forced sudden death with two late goals (62nd minute, 84th minute) but a Bear goal by Jake Mezei in the 103rd minute would be the difference in the match.
The Gamecocks threatened first in the game with 25 minutes left when senior midfielder Danny Deakin nearly scored on a free kick from 25 yards out. The Bears then countered back right away when forward Kobe Perez scored on a successful cross from forward Will Bagrou to give them a 1-0 lead.
Bagrou and Perez would again connect on a goal in the 55th minute, as Perez sent a touch pass from the left side of the box to a hard-charging Bagrou in the middle who put the ball away in the back of the net.
In the 62nd minute, USC midfielder Koty Millard fired a beautiful ball to Deakin who just missed his first goal of the season. Deakin came right back 40 seconds later with a perfect cross into the box to sophomore Trygve Ellingstad who successfully found the back of the net via header to near the score to 2-1 in the 62nd minute.
Deakin again assisted on the Gamecocks next goal to tie the match at 2-2 in the 85th minute when he found teammate Luca Mayr on the far side of the box.
Carolina would have several more chances in the remaining six minutes but was unable to capitalize as the match would head to sudden death. The Gamecocks and Bears went back-and-forth in the opening overtime stanza but remained tied after 10 minutes.
Just over two minutes into the second overtime Mercer forward Jake Mezei scored the game winner for the Bears.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mark Berson on the Ovarian Cancer Awareness cause at tonight’s match: “I thought it was great. I was so pleased with the turnout. I thought it was amazing. I want to thank the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of the Midlands. They had a table out there, and they had a lot of people come by. It was wonderful, and we’re going to keep doing this throughout the month of September.”
GAMECHANGER
The Mercer duo of Kobe Perez and Will Bagrou scored and assisted on each of the Bears’ first two goals.
KEY STAT
Carolina outshot Mercer 15-9.
NOTABLE
- Luca Mayr and Trygve Ellingstad each scored their first goals of the season tonight.
- Danny Deakin assisted on both goals for his first two assist of the season.
UP NEXT
The Gamecocks return home again Friday for a 4 p.m. match with Big Ten foe Rutgers. The South Carolina women will take on instate rival Clemson following the match in a men’s-women doubleheader.
