Charlotte 49ers open NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament with win over Mercer
The Charlotte 49ers recovered from an early mistake Thursday night and overpowered visiting Mercer 3-1 in a first-round NCAA men’s soccer tournament match.
The 49ers, ranked 15th nationally, scored the final three goals and earned a second-round meeting Sunday night at second-seeded Clemson.
Mercer (14-7), which won the Southern Conference tournament after a third-place finish in the regular season, broke on top 1-0 with a goal by Joshua Harrison in the 14th minute.
But Charlotte (12-3-4) charged back with two first-half goals and an insurance tally with six minutes remaining.
“Going down a goal early in a playoff match can be unnerving,” 49ers coach Kevin Langan said. “But these guys settled down and played well.”
The 49ers tied the score in the 23rd minute on a goal by Luke Johnson, then went ahead 15 minutes later on Chance Pellerin’s goal.
Patrick Hogan scored on an assist from Johnson for the final goal.
“We couldn’t really get control in the second half,” Langan said. “I figured that whoever got the next goal would win.”
Mercer coach Brad Ruzzo said he’d hoped his team could get the equalizer in the second half.
“I thought we took control in the second half,” he said. “We felt that if we could get that second goal, we’d take off.”
The Bears had several chances in the final 45 minutes, but Charlotte goalkeeper Elliot Panicco made three big saves — one a diving stop with about 15 minutes remaining — and the 49er defense stiffened after that.
THE GAME CHANGED WHEN ...
Charlotte’s Chance Pellerin scored on a header with 6:13 left in the first half. Pellerin found himself alone on the right side of the goal and flicked the ball into the net. That put the 49ers ahead to stay 2-1.
THE STANDOUTS
Luke Johnson: A junior defender, Johnson scored Charlotte’s first goal and assisted on the 49ers’ final score.
Elliot Panicco: A senior goalkeeper from Hough High, Panicco made five saves, including three big second-half stops.
JUST NOTING
▪ Panicco said he realized Thursday’s game might be his last as a 49er at home. “It meant a lot, having one more chance to play here for Niner Nation,” he said.
▪ Luke Johnson took some kidding after the game about his goal, which came on what appeared to be a centering pass from the left side. The ball hit the goal post and went in, for Charlotte’s first goal. Was it a pass or a shot? “I was just trying to get it close,” Johnson said with a laugh.
▪ Game time Sunday for the Charlotte-Clemson match will be 6 p.m.
▪ Thursday’s game was the first between Charlotte and Mercer in 41 years. In the schools’ only other meeting, on Oct. 14, 1978, the 49ers won 2-0.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 8:36 PM.