It was a tough and close match, but Georgia State prevailed over in-state rival Mercer on Friday with a 1-0 decision.

Georgia State came into the game having a one-game losing streak to the Bears, who beat the Panthers at home last season by a 1-0 margin. And after a 3-0 loss to Mississippi State last weekend, the Panthers were ready to pick up a win.

Redshirt junior Jordan Young didn’t take long to get Georgia State on the board. Just nine minutes into the game, sophomore Whitney Ravan crossed a shot towards Young, who was able to send it to the top of the right corner of the net. It was the first goal of the season for Young.

The rest of the game turned out to be a battle for both squads. Junior Rebecca Toler made her first start in the net for the Panthers and showed she was up to the task. She saved four shots on goal from the Bears, while Mercer’s two goalies combined for a total of two saves. Mercer launched 12 shots, but only four were on goal. The Panthers had three shots on goal.

“The entire game was a battle and we are excited our girls came out victorious,” Leader said. “We are proud of the team’s work ethic and effort. But we can’t celebrate for too long because we have turnaround and travel to a rested Georgia Southern team, who did not play today. We need to recover and hit the road for our last game with an in-state rival this season.”

The win was the second one of coach Derek Leader’s tenure and his first home match. The Panthers will hit the road to Statesboro, Ga., to take on Georgia Southern. The game will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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