The Citadel
6-2-4, 1-1-2
Mercer
5-5-2, 0-2-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mercer | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Santos Posts Season-High 10 Saves as Bulldogs Earn Road Point at Mercer
10/1/2026 9:35:00 PM | Soccer
MACON, Ga. -- The Citadel (6-2-4, 1-1-2 SoCon) battled Mercer (5-5-2, 0-2-1 SoCon) to a scoreless draw Thursday night at Betts Stadium.
Senior goalkeeper Zoe Santos turned in a season-high 10 saves across 90 minutes to preserve the clean sheet for the Bulldogs. Mercer finished with a 25-8 advantage in shots and placed 10 attempts on goal, while The Citadel put five of its eight shots on frame. The Bears also held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.
The shutout marked Santos' third individual clean sheet of the season and helped The Citadel earn its second consecutive draw in Southern Conference play.
"Excellent point on the road against a team that is really strong at home," head coach Ciaran Traquair said. "We had to adjust to gain a bit more momentum and control after a shaky first half. In the second half, we battled for everything and started to cause them some problems. Overall, I'm delighted for the girls and excited to move forward to Sunday."
First Half
- Mercer applied early pressure, but Santos made six saves in the opening half to keep the match scoreless.
- The Bears also struck the woodwork twice, with Ariel Bolton hitting the post in the 16th minute and Marianna Rapani finding the crossbar in the 21st.
- Samantha Grantham recorded The Citadel's first shot on goal in the 38th minute before Caelynn January added another attempt on frame late in the half.
- Mercer held an 11-2 advantage in shots through the opening 45 minutes.
Second Half
- The Bulldogs came out with increased pressure after halftime, earning an early corner before Jasiah Pack put an attempt on goal in the 60th minute.
- Reese Denson put a shot on frame in the 74th minute before Grantham forced another save from Mercer goalkeeper Avery Parker in the 84th.
- Santos made three saves over the final seven minutes, including a stop on Olivia Bori with nine seconds remaining, to secure the clean sheet and road point.
Up next, The Citadel returns home to host Furman on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Washington Light Infantry Field. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
For the latest information on The Citadel soccer team, visit CitadelSports.com and follow @CitadelWSoccer on Facebook, X and Instagram.
-- #𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 --
