Mercer Bears men's soccer
American college soccer team
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The Mercer Bears men's soccer team represents Mercer University in all NCAA Division I men's college soccer competitions. The Bears play in the Southern Conference.
| Mercer Bears men's soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 2022 Mercer Bears men's soccer team | |||
| |||
| Founded | 1970 | ||
| University | Mercer University | ||
| Head coach | Brad Ruzzo (17th season) | ||
| Conference | SoCon | ||
| Location | Macon, Georgia, US | ||
| Stadium | Betts Stadium (capacity: 300) | ||
| Nickname | Bears | ||
| Colors | Black and orange[1] | ||
| |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 2001, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | |||
| Conference tournament championships | |||
| 1999, 2001, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 | |||
| Conference regular season championships | |||
| 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2014, 2018 | |||
Coaching staff
As of March 17, 2019.
| Name | Position coached | Consecutive season at Mercer University in current position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Ruzzo | Head coach | 12th | |
| Jarred Brookins | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
| Alex Gott | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
| Reference:[2] | |||
Championships
Conference regular season championships
Mercer has won six regular season championships.[3]
| Year | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Dana Robinson | 9–6–2 | 5–0–0 |
| 2000 | Tom Melville | 9–8–2 | 3–1–2 |
| 2001 | Tom Melville | 13–8–0 | 5–2–0 |
| 2002 | Tom Melville | 10–7–1 | 6–1–1 |
| 2014 | Brad Ruzzo | 14–7–0 | 8–2–0 |
| 2018 | Brad Ruzzo | 12–4–2 | 5–1–0 |
| Conference regular season championships | 6 | ||
Conference tournament championships
Mercer has won five conference tournaments. Two Atlantic Sun Men's Soccer Tournaments[4] and three Southern Conference Men's Soccer Tournaments.[5]
| Year | Conference | Coach | Opponent | Score | Site | Overall Record | Conf. Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Atlantic Sun | Tom Melville | Florida Atlantic | 2–0 | Jacksonville, FL | 12–7–2 | 4–2–0 |
| 2001 | Atlantic Sun | Tom Melville | Jacksonville | 2–1 | Macon, GA | 13–8–0 | 5–2–0 |
| 2016 | Southern | Brad Ruzzo | East Tennessee State | 0–0[a] | Greensboro, NC | 13–7–1 | 7–3–0 |
| 2017 | Southern | Brad Ruzzo | UNCG | 1–1[b] | Greenville, SC | 7–9–6 | 4–4–2 |
| 2019 | Southern | Brad Ruzzo | UNCG | 1–0 | Greensboro, NC | 14–7–0 | 3–3–0 |
| 2021 | Southern | Brad Ruzzo | Belmont | 4–3 | Macon, GA | 10–8–1 | 4–1–1 |
| 2023 | Southern | Brad Ruzzo | Furman | 2–0 | Greenville, SC | 7–6–8 | 1–2–2 |
| Conference tournament championships | 7 | ||||||
Postseason
NCAA tournament results
Mercer has appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 0–4–0.[6]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | First round | Kentucky | L 0–1 |
| 2016 | First round | South Carolina | L 0–1 |
| 2017 | First round | Coastal Carolina | L 0–1 |
| 2019 | First round | Charlotte | L 1–3 |
| 2021 | First round | Wake Forest | L 1–2 |
| 2023 | First round | FIU | L 0–1 |
