JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 27, 2023) – The ETSU women's soccer team wanted redemption over Mercer. 
 
They got it on Friday evening. 
 
The Bucs got a goal from Sinoxolo Cesane in the seventh minute and Ashton Blair came up big all night in goal, as No. 2 ETSU blanked No. 7 Mercer 1-0 in a Southern Conference quarterfinal match at Summers-Taylor Stadium. 
 
ETSU, who suffered a 1-0 loss to Mercer in the regular season and was dealt season-ending setbacks to the Bears the last two years, remained perfect on its home pitch and advanced to Sunday's semifinal match. The Bucs improved to 11-2-5 overall and are now 8-0-2 at home this season. Mercer ended its season with a record of 10-6-5. 
 
Cesane registered her team-leading seventh goal of the year, while Blair made history by securing her eighth shutout of the season – breaking the previous record held by Shu Ohba in 2021. 
 
ETSU wasted little time grabbing momentum as Cesane recorded the first shot in the opening 15 seconds; however, it was off target. 
 
Fortunately, her second opportunity didn't disappoint the Buccaneer faithful. 
 
Following a costly turnover by a Mercer defender deep in the Buccaneer zone, Grace Eatz came away with it and delivered a perfect ball to Cesane. With Cesane at the top of the 18-yard box, the all-conference selection made one quick move and fired a laser towards the upper left-hand corner of the box for the only goal of the contest. 
 
With the goal advantage, the Defensive Player of the Year in goal and the best defense in the league, ETSU had all it needed for a victory. 
 
The Blue & Gold continued to apply pressure for the remainder of the match, but ETSU couldn't find another score. 
 
One minute after the Cesane goal, all-freshman selection Ava Matherne had a chance but Lindsay Bell came away with the first of her four saves. 
 
Blair was tested three times in the opening 45 minutes and two them came within a span of a minute and a half. In the 21st minute, Keelin Pray sent one to the lower right corner but Blair was there for the save. A minute later it was Pray again sending one to the same area and Blair once again said, "Not today!"
 
Both teams had one more scoring chance in the final stages of the opening half but came away empty. 
 
After ETSU and Mercer each had five shots in the first 45 minutes, the Bucs turned up the heat in the final 45. The Blue & Gold posted 12 shots in the second half, but nothing found the back of the net.
 
Madi Hook started the shooting spree in the opening minute as her shot was off the mark, while Molly Cason registered the first shot on mark but Bell again came away with the save. 
 
Mercer's lone shot on goal came in the 65th minute when Emily Duncan tested Blair but she responded to the challenge with a save in the center of the goal. Thirty seconds later, the Bears had another shot but it went wide and the visitors from Macon had another shot off the mark in the 67th. 
 
Once again, the Bucs looked to have had another chance to put an end to the match but back-to-back shots by Emma Arnold couldn't result in a second scoring chance between the 68th and 69th minute. 
 
ETSU's final chances came with 10 minutes left as Cesane's look in the 81st was off the mark, Matherne had her final shot on goal saved in the 83rd and Reagan Fitzgerald's second and final attempt from a corner kick was off target in the 84th. 
 
Mercer had one final look in the closing seconds of the match but Jada Moorman's look forced Blair to dive to her right, knocking the ball out of play. The Bears had a corner but with 30 seconds left and Blair used her length to come away with the ball through traffic and secure the victory. 

The Bucs out-shot Mercer, 17-9, and had three more corner kicks, 7-4. ETSU committed seven more fouls in the match as they were called for 12 on the night. 
 
ETSU now gets No. 3 Samford in Sunday's semifinal, which is set for 2 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium. 
 
For more information on Buccaneer women's soccer, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's soccer tab.