Bisons blank Mercer behind Levi Jones’s two-goal performance
Lipscomb men’s soccer secured its first win of the season with 2-0 shutout victory over Mercer on Sunday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex.
The Bisons’ offense came alive in the second half, with redshirt junior midfielder Levi Jones scoring two goals in a seven-minute span to seal the win. Lipscomb’s defense held strong all night, not allowing a single goal.
“I’m really, really proud of him for stepping up the way he did tonight,” said Lipscomb Head Coach Charles Morrow. “This is a big year for him, and he has the ability to have a good season after a rough start with an injury.”
The first half was a defensive struggle for the two squads, with Mercer and Lipscomb trading possessions and neither squad being able to find the back of the net. Goalkeepers Alex Kara and Henry Hampshaw each recorded three saves to keep the game scoreless.
The Bisons finally broke through in the 68th minute when graduate student forward William Bryan found junior midfielder Daniel Firek, who passed the ball to Jones for the first goal of the game. Jones saw the play developing and made an excellent run into the box, redirecting the ball with his foot for the goal.
Jones completed his brace just seven minutes later, in the 75th minute, by scoring his second goal of the night and solidifying the lead. His two goals were the only scores of the contest, giving Lipscomb the decisive victory.
“Once that second ball went in, I knew that we could win this game and the hard work that we put in during the preseason was just unbelievable,” Jones said. “It felt great to get the ball in and give us the assurance that we were going to win.”
The Bisons will hit the road for their next game, traveling to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest on Friday.
