Greenville, S.C. – Junior
Wilfer Bustamante converted from the penalty spot in the 42
nd minute to lift Furman to a 1-0 victory over Mercer in the Southern Conference men's soccer opener for both schools Saturday afternoon on Seagraves Field at Stone Soccer Stadium.
Senior
Caleb Johnson sprinted onto a through ball on the right side of the box and was tripped up with less than four minutes on the first half clock. The referee pointed to the spot and confirmed his decision via VAR before Bustamante, a Greenville, S.C., native and J.L. Mann High School graduate, converted his spot kick at 41:43 to break the deadlock.
"I'm proud of the guys for getting the three points and overcoming the distraction of the weather delay," said Paladin head coach
Brandon Tucker. "It's always good to get the SoCon victory and protect the home field. Now we'll turn our attention towards next Saturday's trip to Liberty."
The match went into a lightning delay as the teams reached the locker room for halftime. The stoppage lasted almost an hour before the match resumed shortly after 4 p.m.
Goalkeeper Henry Hampshaw kept the Bears (0-6-2, 0-1-0 SoCon) within striking distance by saving a one-versus-one chance for Furman on a
Mason Peacock shot in the 77
th minute and denying Bustamante from close range with less than seven minutes remaining. Furman's
Aaron Salinas notched three saves to lead the Paladins to their second shutout of the season.
The Paladins outshot Mercer 22-5 and held a 6-3 edge in shots on goal.
Furman (3-1-4, 1-0-0 SoCon) begins a three-match road trip next Saturday, September 26, when it visits new SoCon soccer member Liberty for a 5 p.m. kickoff at Osborne Stadium.
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