Greenville, S.C. – Sophomore Shaun-Chris Joash scored in the 107^th minute as Furman moved into sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference men's soccer standings with a 1-0, double overtime victory over preseason league favorites Mercer on Tuesday evening at Stone Soccer Stadium.
 
Furman improved to 5-1-0 overall and a league-best 3-0-0 in SoCon pay, while Mercer slid to 3-8-1 overall and 1-2-1 in conference play.
 
With less than four minutes left in the second and final overtime period, Cole McLagan played a one-touch pass to Dylan Lane who redirected the ball into the path of Joash on the right side of the box. The forward took one touch to beat his defender and lined a left-footed strike inside the near post at the 106:34 mark for his fourth goal of the year and third match-winning tally of the season.
 
Redshirt-senior goalkeeper Ben Hale setup Furman's opportunity to remain unbeaten in league play by recording a career-high 10 saves, including a pair of point-blank stops in the final overtime. McLagan also saved a shot off of the line after Hale attempted to punch a cross clear late in the match.
 
"This was an extremely resilient effort by our team tonight," said Paladin head coach Doug Allison, who has guided his squad to three overtime victories in SoCon play this season. "It was an outstanding goal and was made possible by us battling through another overtime match. We couldn't have done it without "The Den" and all the students tonight that helped pull us through that overtime."
 
The Bears posted a 25-11 margin in total shots and an 11-4 edge in shots on goal, but Hale answered with a stop each time. Mercer's JR DeRose turned away three shots for the Bears.
 
Furman continues its homestand on Thursday night when it hosts the Wofford Terriers at Stone Soccer Stadium. The Paladins will celebrate Senior Night on Saturday when they entertain VMI. Both Thursday and Saturday's matches will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.