Box Score GREENSBORO, N.C. – Despite dominating the game and holding a 21-6 advantage in shots, the fourth-seeded UNCG men's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 double overtime loss to top-seeded and regular season champion Mercer Thursday night in the semifinal round of the Southern Conference Tournament hosted at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. Mercer scored the game-winning goal off a fluke play in the 103rd minute of action in its only shot of extra time.
The Spartans held a dominating 17-4 edge in shots after the first half, including a 14-3 advantage in the second half. Mercer goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh single-handily lifted the Bears to victory as he posted a career-high 13 saves, including many in crucial situations. Junior forward Jacques Francois (Port Au Prince, Haiti/Louisburg College) led the Spartans with seven shots, including five on goal as nine of the 10 field starters posted shots in the loss.
Mercer (14-6-0) scored the game's lone goal in the 103rd minute of action. Chandler Klemm made a run down the left-hand side and sent an innocent ball down the goal line where an UNCG defender and freshman goalkeeper William Pyle (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) misplayed the ball allowing it to get past them. Mercer forward Will Bagrou was the beneficiary of the lucky play hitting it into the back of the net for the golden goal.
The Spartans came out of the gate quickly, using the momentum from the home crowd as they got a chance in just the second minute of action. Freshman Moises Gonzalez (Bailey, N.C./Southern Nash) took a long ball down in the 18-yard box and found some space, ripping a shot from 15-yards out that Ranjitsingh had to make a diving save on to keep the ball out of the net.
UNCG controlled play for most of the first half but Mercer had a chance in the 30th minute of play. Jourdan Gooden took a pass at the top of the 18-yard box and got a strong shot off but Pyle was there to thwart the effort. The Spartans closed out the first half strongly as Francois made some moves in the box before sending a shot towards goal but Ranjitsingh made his third save of the half.
The Spartans attacked out of the halftime break non-stop, firing 14 shots in the second half. Sophomore defender Quin Lema (Pembroke, Jamaica/American Heritage) made a long run down the right-hand side in the 67th minute and took a long ball from senior Aaron Reifschneider (Frisco, Texas/Frisco). Lema took his first touch and was behind the defense. He beat Ranjitsingh with the shot but it skirted off the post and out of play.
The Spartans looked primed to take the lead in the 76th minute of play when Francois played in freshman Tommi Gardarsson (Reykjavik, Iceland/Commercial College of Iceland) into the box where he was hauled down for a penalty kick. Gardarsson stepped up and ripped a shot to the left but Ranjitsingh made a save and the rebound attempt by Gardarsson was just wide.
Senior forward Austin Miller (High Point, N.C./High Point Central) had two great chances in the closing minutes of regulation. Miller had a chance in the 89th minute on the right-hand side and a chance with five seconds remaining on the left-hand side but both times Ranjitsingh was there to make a diving stop.
Francois came within inches of winning the game in the first minute of overtime. He was sent in by a long ball from junior Lukas Zarges (Freidrichsdorf, Germany/Phillip Reis Schulle) and ripped a shot from 12-yards out that was destined for the top near-post corner but Ranjitsingh was able to somehow make the save to set up the golden goal chance in the second overtime period.
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