SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Wofford men's soccer team (5-7-1, 1-1-0 SoCon) fell in dramatic fashion to the Mercer Bears (2-6-3, 1-0-1SoCon), 4-5, on Saturday night at Snyder Field. This marks the final of four straight home games for the Terriers.

The Terriers returned to the field in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Max Talley was inactive for the game, but Niklas Hegle returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Campbell. The starters included Pepe Hinterschuster in goal, Jakob Andersson, Gavin Lewis, Niklas Hegle and Mikey Hernandez along the back line. Edvin Langdaahl, Adam Celik and Kalle Rahbek made up the midfield. Stewart Patnaud, Samuel Byron and Nathan Simes filled out the forwards.

First Half
The Terriers looked to put pressure on the Bears early, grabbing the first two shots and two corners withing six minutes. Around the 12^th minute, Mercer found a string of dangerous possessions in the Wofford box. Eventually, the Bears found a breakthrough, as a ball fell into the path of an attacker who was able to place it to the top right for a 13^th minute goal.

The momentum began to swing in the favor of Mercer as they started to hold a majority of possession. They were able to string together multiple passes on the outside of the Wofford box. A flicked ball behind found the winger, able to drive a ball across the box for a simple finish in the 20^th minute.

Nathan Simes nearly found the end of a Mikey Hernandez cross but was just wide. The teams head into the locker rooms with Mercer leading 2-0. Wofford ended the half with four shots to Mercer's three, while only have one on target to their three. There were 19 fouls in the half, including a card for each team. The Terriers controlled 59 percent of possession.

Second Half
The second half had a much slower start statistically, but the teams were still fighting hard. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Bears found a ball from the midfield behind the line. The forward was able to take a shot that rolled just outside the reach of Hinterschuster for a third goal.

Looking for more offensive looks, Ryan Osborne subbed out defender, Hegle, for Declan Mettee, who was able to score in the previous match as a substitute. Shortly after, Andersson was brought down for a freekick about 25 yards out from goal. Kalle Rahbek lined up behind the ball and fired a shot to the top left, past the reach of the keeper to put one on the goal sheet.

The Bears continued their offensive pressure continued as the Bears' winger found space to drive a ball to the opposite side of the box to a free man for their fourth goal. Rahbek was brought down in the box, winning a penalty in the 74^th minute. Simes was able to slot it to the left of the goal, sending the keeper the wrong way. Mercer responded quickly, striking just four minutes later to make it 2-5.

As the game entered the last seven minutes, Wofford began to throw more and more bodies up the field. The extra bodies in the box helped as a header from Celik was picked up by Alejandro Moreno for his first career goal in the 84^th minute. As the clock ticked down, the Terriers got a corner. Jakob Andersson served a ball in to Declan Mettee, fulfilling his role as substitute goal scorer with one second left on the clock, ending the game 4-5.
Inside the Numbers

• The last time there were nine goals in a Terrier match was 2021 when Wofford beat VMI 8-1. 1996 was the last time there were more goals in a Terrier match as the Terriers beat Johnson & Wales 13-1.
• Jakob Andersson's last second assist moved him to tied for second in career assists with 20. He matched Nestor Jaramillo's mark from 2012-16.
• Rahbek scored the first Terrier free kick of the season, while Simes is 2-2 on penalty attempts.

Next Up
The Terriers return to Southern Conference play against #23 UNC Greensboro to start a three game away stretch. Wofford travels to Greensboro, North Carolina, on Saturday, October 11. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. All action is streamed exclusively on ESPN+.