MACON, Ga. – In the regular season opener, the Georgia State men's soccer was defeated by in-state rival Mercer 2-0 on Friday night at Bear Field in Macon, Ga. Two second half goals were the difference as the Panthers fall to 0-1 this season.
Mercer went on the attack first, forcing GSU goalkeeper CJ Cochran to make a save on Jordan Duru's shot in the second minute. Georgia State responded with three shots on target in the next seven minutes.
- The Panthers first chace was by Eddie Wilding in the 5th minute but Bear keeper Greg Ranjitsingh made the save.
- Rashid Alarape then tried his luck with a shot in the 8th minute but Ranjitsingh was again up to the task.
- Less than a minute later, Ranjitsingh recorded his third save on an attempt by Aaron Jones.
Over the next thirty minutes, both teams attempted five shots but none were on target. The Panthers final chance of the first half came in the 42nd minute but Conor Acheson's header was side of the post.
- After 45 minutes, GSU held a 10-7 shot advantage. Both teams attempted two corners in the first half.
The Bears grabbed a 1-0 lead on the first scoring chance of the second half in the 53rd minute. Following a corner kick by Ian Antley, Andrew McKeever fired a shot on goal that deflected off Reid Folkard, past Cochran and into the back of the net.
GSU went on the attack in the 60th minute, attempting a trio of shots but none were on target. Ten minutes later, Jad Elkhalil tested Ranjitsingh with a header but the Mercer keeper made the save to protect the Bears' lead.
The Panthers continued to attack over the next 15 minutes but could not create a quality scoring chance. In the 88th minute, Mercer doubled its lead when Will Bagrou scored. Cochran came off his line and Bagrou was able to slot the ball into the top left corner past the senior.
Georgia State's final scoring chance came in the 90th minute but Ranjitsingh made his fifth save of the night to maintain the shutout. The Panthers next match is Friday, Sept. 5th against College of Charleston in Greenville, S.C. in the first game of the Gray Griffin Memorial Tournament.
