What you need to know:
* The Panthers opened the regular season with a 2-0 shutout of the Mercer Bears Friday night.
* Hannes Burmeister scored both goals for the team.
* GSU will return to the field Sunday afternoon to face the USC Upstate Spartans at 5 p.m.

ATLANTA- The Georgia State men's soccer team defeated Mercer 2-0 in its home opener Friday night. Junior Hannes Burmeister scored both goals for the team

With the win, the Panthers improved to 1-0 and the Bears fell to 0-1.

Both teams opened the match with aggression, with a total of eight shots taken between both teams. Senior Yannic Horn posted the lone first half save, his first of three for the night.

The Panthers scored quickly coming out of the half, with Burmeister slipping the ball by Mercer's keeper at the 53-minute mark. He followed the game-winner up with a second goal less than ten minutes later, putting the game away after an assist from Jad Elkhalil.

Burmeister and Rashid Alarape tied for first in shots, combining for six of the team's 14. Both student-athletes posted two shots on target.

“I'm really proud of the boys tonight," head coach Brett Surrency said. "They were fully focused on getting this result and I am quite pleased that their efforts were rewarded. It's great to start the season with a win but even more important with how it was achieved. We will enjoy this tonight and then get ready for a quick turnaround on Sunday.”

Georgia State will return to the GSU Soccer Complex on Sunday against USC Upstate at 5 p.m. A live stream will be available at PantherVision and will be free of charge. Parking and admission are free to fans.

Follow along with Georgia State on Twitter (@GSUMensSoccer) for the latest news and updates.