JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 27, 2023) – The moment has arrived for ETSU men's soccer. After disappointment and frustration were molded into hard work and growth over a period of months, the Buccaneers are right back where they were 364 days ago – a chance for a trophy with their oldest rival standing in the way. 
 
ETSU hosts Mercer on Saturday night in the regular season finale at 7 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium. With a win, the Buccaneers are the outright Southern Conference champions for the first time since 2017. Admission is free. 
 
THE MATCHUP  
ETSU (8-5-2, 3-0-1) vs. MERCER (5-4-7, 1-1-2) 
Saturday, October 28 | 7 p.m. | Summers-Taylor Stadium | ESPN+ | Live Stats 
  
ABOUT THE BUCS  
·       ETSU has had a full week's rest after a 2-0 win on the road at Furman. Kieran Richards scored on a cross from Tarik Pannholzer, then Pannholzer scored on a penalty kick to seal the win, just the second ever for ETSU in Greenville. 
·       The Bucs have now won five consecutive games and are unbeaten in their last six, outscoring opponents 14-1 in that span. ETSU's scoring offense has risen from a ranking of 183rd out of 202 on October 5 to 88th on October 26. 
·       Pannholzer has made a late SoCon Player of the Year case with his October surge. The German has four goals and an assist during ETSU's five-game winning streak and is the SoCon's top goal scorer and point getter in conference play with three goals and seven points in four SoCon tilts. Pannholzer's late penalty against Furman tied him with Fletcher Ekern for the second-most goals in school history with 23 – three shy of David Geno's all-time record. Pannholzer's 57 career points trail only Geno's 72 for the ETSU school record. 
·       Richards and Gabriel Ramos are also on the climb in ETSU's record book. Richards' 21 career goals are tied for fourth-most at ETSU, as are his 12 assists, and his 54 career points are third-most in ETSU history. Ramos' 11 goals are ninth-most at ETSU, while his nine assists rank eighth at ETSU, and his 31 points are tied with Danny Barlow for the eighth-most in a career at ETSU. 
·       Cole Hunter's outstanding season continued in goal with an electric performance in the win over Furman. Hunter has risen to second in the nation in save percentage (.872) and fourth in goals against average (.545), while ranking 16th with six shutouts. Hunter leads the SoCon in all three categories as well as saves per game (3.73). 
 
ABOUT MERCER 
·       Mercer rotated personnel heavily but came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision against North Florida on Tuesday at Betts Stadium in Macon. The loss extends Mercer's winless streak to six games – their longest such streak since 2013. They are 1-3-5 in their last nine games, with the lone win coming on September 30 against VMI. 
·       Freshman Barzee Blama has been at the sharp end of Mercer's attack this season, sitting second in the SoCon with seven goals across all competition. Blama has garnered national attention, ranking 31st in Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top 100 Freshmen on October 18th. 
·       Goalkeeper Trevor McMullen has enjoyed a standout senior year in his third season as the starter for Mercer. He ranks 16th in the nation in save percentage and 23rd in goals against average, ranking second in the SoCon behind Hunter in both. 
·       Mercer is one of the least-whistled and least-booked teams in the country, ranking 36th in fewest fouls per game (10.27) and tied for the 38th fewest yellow cards issued against them (21). 
 
SERIES HISTORY 
·       This is the 25th all-time meeting between ETSU and Mercer – the most-played matchup in ETSU's history. The Buccaneers are 8-10-6 against the Bears. 
·       The Bears defeated ETSU 3-2 in Macon on October 29, 2022, to deny ETSU a share of the SoCon regular season title, then beat them 1-0 at Summers-Taylor Stadium in the 2022 SoCon Men's Soccer Championship semifinals one week later. 
·       ETSU's last win over Mercer was March 16, 2021. Lucas Lightner scored on a counterattack in the 88th minute to get ETSU over the top, while Josh Perryman stopped eight shots for the shutout. 
 
UP NEXT  
ETSU has clinched hosting rights and a bye into the semifinals of the 2023 SoCon Men's Soccer Championship and will await their opponent on November 5 at Summers-Taylor Stadium. 
 
For more information on ETSU men's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's soccer tab.