ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop travels to Georgia for the second time this season to take on Mercer in a non-conference matchup Tuesday evening.
 
GAME SNAPSHOT AT MERCER
WHO: Winthrop (2-6, 0-1 Big South) at Mercer (6-2-0, 0-0 SoCON)
WHEN: Oct. 1, 2019 / 7 p.m.
WHERE: Macon, GA (Betts Stadium)
BROADCAST: None
LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast
FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @Winthropsoccer
TICKETS:  Free Admission

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS MERCER
This will mark the 9^th meeting all-time between the two programs. The Eagles and Bears squared off in 2018 in Rock Hill with Mercer coming away with a 2-0 victory. Winthrop leads the all-time series 4-3-1 and is 2-1-1 when playing at Mercer. In all three losses against Mercer, the Eagles have been shutout in the contest.
 
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
The Bears won the last meeting 2-0 in Rock Hill in 2018. It was the second game of the year for the Eagles as Mercer scored two goals in a five minute span of the second half (71^st/76^th minute) to earn the win. It was a game of missed opportunities for the Eagles as they created several good scoring chances. In that matchup the Eagles missed taking an early lead as Davis Bryan headed a cross off the crossbar in the 10^th minute and a free header off a corner in the 39^th minute by Charlie Ramirez just missed wide of the post. Emmet Johnson and Leo Toledo Jr. scored the goals for Mercer.  
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Bears have won two straight and off to a 6-2 start despite having just two home games. Offensively averaging 1.88 goals per game as Trevor Martineau leads the team with five goals (17 points). Jason Nduese-udom and Toledo Jr. have two goals each. The Bears are currently 2-0 against Big South Conference opponents this season, edging USC Upstate and Presbyterian College by a goal. The bears have five wins by a goal and both losses were also one-goal games. J.R. DeRose has been in goal every second this season and has a 1.21 goals against average with 25 saves and two shutouts. Mercer has gone to overtime in three of its last four contests.
 
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES
Eagles are coming off a 2-0 loss at High Point in their conference opener. Winthrop won its last non-conference game, 3-2 over the College of Charleston in double-overtime. Freshman Cameron Thayer scored two goals in the game, including the golden goal. Jordan Walshaw leads the team with six points (1g, 4a) while Thayer is second with five points (2g, 1a). Winthrop is 5^th in the Big South in scoring and 2^nd in assists per game. Walshaw is 9^th in the league in scoring and is tied for the league-lead in assists and assists per game. Eagles are 1-4 on the road this season and 0-1 in the state of Georgia.  
 
10^th YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF 2009 BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP
This season the Eagles celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the 2009 Big South Conference Championship team.
The Eagles were coming off a championship in 2008 as it lost some of the greatest players in the history of the program. The Eagles were still loaded with talent and after dropping the opener 3-1 at North Carolina State, they won five in a row. Heading into the Big South Tournament the Eagles were struggling, having lost three straight (outscored 10-1). Winthrop, seeded fourth, defeated Gardner-Webb in penalties to advance to the semifinals and then advanced to the championship after defeating top-seeded Coastal Carolina 4-2 in penalties. The Eagles went on to defeat Liberty 2-1 in the championship game, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season. Winthrop went on to lose 3-2 at 20^th-ranked Duke in the opening round of the NCAA College Cup.

BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
The Eagles were voted 7^th in the 2019 Big South Conference preseason poll. Winthrop returns nine players that started at least eight games from a team that was 3-5 in the league last year. The Eagles finished in 7^th last season, a point out of tying Longwood and USC Upstate for 6^th. Defending regular-season champion High Point is the preseason favorite while Radford and Campbell tied for 2^nd in the poll.
 
WHAT'S AHEAD
Eagles get back to league play as they host Big South foe UNC Asheville on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m. It is also Winthrop men's soccer Alumni Weekend and there will be a women's soccer game earlier in the day at 1 p.m. against Longwood.   
 
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
To keep up with the latest news on the Winthrop men's soccer program follow the Eagles on Twitter (@Winthropsoccer), Instagram (@winthropsoccer) and Facebook (/WinthropUniversitySoccer).