Greenville, S.C. – Leo Toledo, Jr. scored a driving strike from long distance in the 106^th minute to send Mercer past Furman, 3-2, and into the Southern Conference Championship match in semifinal action Sunday afternoon at Stone Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
 
Just moments after a Mercer hand ball in the box was waved off, Toledo broke a 2-2 tie when a clearance attempt deflected off of several players into his path and the winger ripped a shot past a diving Max Fisher and inside the left post at the 104:55 mark. The Bears (13-6-0) advance to face tonight's UNCG-Belmont winner in next weekend's SoCon final.
 
"I could not be more proud of this team," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "They fought through injuries and adversity all season and just kept fighting. It hurts to see the season end like it did today."
 
Mercer grabbed the lead less than three minutes into the match when Dawson Gideon played a low cross into the box that Fisher could not corral and Dylan Gaither tapped in his chance. Furman answered in the 16^th minute. Callum Holland played Conor Sloan down the right wing and the Murrells Inlet, S.C., native chipped a shot over the stranded goalkeeper and into the far left-side netting to even the match.
 
In the 28^th minute, Cole McLagan used a clever backheel touch to elude a defender and delivered a curling cross towards the top of the six-yard box that Miles Fenton deposited to give the Paladins (11-7-1) a 2-1 lead. The Bears equalized at 33:04 when Roberto Arteaga settled the ball at the top of the box and fired a shot through traffic that found the right corner.
 
The second half belonged to the goalkeepers as Fisher made a sprawling one-handed save in the opening minutes of the period and denied Trevor Martineau's header from point-blank range late in the half. JR Derose kept the Bear on level terms with five second half saves.
 
Furman came close to stealing the victory in the second overtime period when Connor Hubbard turned on his defender and unleashed a goal-bound shot in the 102^nd minute, but it deflected off of teammate Shaun-Chris Joash and was cleared from danger. In the 104^th minute Sloan's left-footed effort was handled in the left side of the box, but no penalty kick was awarded.
 
The Paladins posted a 26-19 edge in total shots, while attempts on goal were even at 10-10. Derose made eight saves for the Bears and Fisher stopped seven for Furman.