CHARLESTON, S.C. – Leanne Bryant gave The Citadel a 1-0 lead on an unassisted strike in the 66th minute, but two late goals from Mercer, including a golden goal winner in overtime, were the difference in Friday's match as the Bears earned a 2-1 win at WLI Field.
 
Game Information
Final Score: Mercer 2, The Citadel 1 (OT)
Record: The Citadel (6-6-2, 0-3 SoCon), Mercer (5-7-1, 2-1 SoCon)
Location: Charleston, S.C. (WLI Field)
Series: Mercer leads 8-1-1
 
How It Happened

• Besides an early shot from Mercer, The Citadel dominated early offensive pressure over the first half-hour of the match. Both Leanne Bryant and Ellie Burgess put shots on goal, and Logan Dix fired off a trio of shots in a seven-minute span that threatened but were ultimately not on target.
• Mercer nearly grabbed the advantage just before the halftime break as a corner kick found the head of Payton Schurr, but Brie Sikes came up with a crucial save to maintain the deadlock heading into the locker room.
• Sikes again came up big for the Bulldogs to open the second half, making near back-to-back saves against Mercer's Aliah Kitchens and Kylie Buchanan in the 57th and 58th minutes to preserve the clean sheet.
• Bryant provided the breakthrough for The Citadel at the 65:45 mark as she broke free on a long run through the right side of the box. After losing her defender, Bryant fired on goal and slotted her shot into the top left corner to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 edge midway through the half.
• Mercer evened the score at 79:50 off a penalty kick from Kendall Cook. McKenna Falarski nearly found the winner in the final minute of regulation, but her chance sailed just wide left to send the match into overtime.
• Just under two minutes into overtime, the Bears got the golden goal off the foot of Ally Fordham to deal The Citadel a 2-1 setback.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Leanne Bryant netted her first goal of the spring and second of the season with her strike in the 66th minute.
• Logan Dix fired five shots on the afternoon, her most in a match this spring and her sixth match this season with at least five shots. With 44 shots this season, Dix is just eight shots shy of entering the top 15 in The Citadel's single-season history.
• Of The Citadel's six losses this season, five have come by a single goal, including 1-0 defeats against then-No. 12 Pittsburgh (Sept. 27), North Florida (Feb. 23) and Furman (March 7) and a 2-1 setback against Pittsburgh (Sept. 24).

 
Up Next
The Citadel will have a week off before returning to WLI Field for a pair of matches next weekend, taking on VMI (Friday at 3 p.m.) and UNCG (Sunday at 11 a.m.) in a pair of SoCon battles. Against VMI, the Bulldogs will be seeking their third straight victory over their archrival, and on Sunday The Citadel will be aiming for its first-ever win over UNCG in the 20th meeting between the two sides.