Date Posted: 9/12/2008

MACON, Ga. – A rivalry 36 years deep gets revitalized after a three-year hiatus when Mercer hosts Georgia State at 3:00pm on Sunday at Bear Field in the Atlantic Sun Conference’s Men’s Soccer Game of the Week. The game can be seen on ASun.TV.

The matchup between the Bears and Panthers serves as the finale of the third annual Wingate by Wyndham Classic. The Bears have met the Panthers on the pitch more than any other team, as the two squads have squared off 47 times in a rivalry that dates back to 1972, Mercer’s third season of men’s soccer. The Panthers currently hold the advantage in the series, boasting a record of 31-13-3 against the Bears. The rivalry resumes after almost four years apart. The last time the Bears met the Panthers came on Oct. 2, 2004. That match resulted in a 2-1 Mercer victory in overtime.

Mercer features the two winners of the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Week award. After a career-high 10 saves against UAB on Sunday, the A-Sun recognized senior goalkeeper David Bird as the Defensive Player of the Week one day later. Bird’s honor marked the second week in a row a Mercer player took home the award after senior defender Bolade Ogunmade achieved the feat on September. 2. The last time the Bears won back-to-back Player of the Week awards was on Nov. 7, 2005, when Aldo Balsano earned the distinction for the second consecutive week.

Georgia State has won two straight, both at home The Panthers shut out Presbyterian, 3-0, and took down another A-Sun foe, USC Upstate, 2-1 by scoring only 15 seconds after the Spartans tied the match in the 67th minute. In three games, Georgia State’s Linus Warendh, Dathan Knott, as well as junior Stephan Minyono have recorded two goals a piece to account for all but one of the seven goals tallied by the Panthers.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Related Links:
 •  Mercer Game Notes