CLINTON, S.C. – A formidable challenge will arrive for the Presbyterian College lacrosse team on Wednesday evening as Big South Conference action resumes, welcoming the winner of the last three league championships when Mercer comes knocking.

Opening draw against the Bears is tabbed for 4:00 PM tomorrow, streamed live via ESPN+. The Blue Hose will attempt to give Mercer their first loss in a Big South meeting (regular season or postseason) since 2022.

With five matches left on the '25 radar, PC finds themselves in the middle of a multi-team race for a top-six spot in the conference standings, thus giving them a ticket to the league tournament. Head coach Eric Clakeley's crew is currently in a three-way tie for 5^th place after sliding past Radford but coming up short against Winthrop.


 
GAMEDAY INFO – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
Presbyterian (4-8, 1-2) vs. Mercer (6-6, 3-0)
WHERE / WHEN: Bailey Memorial Stadium | 4:00 PM
WATCH: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast


 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
 
- Few mid-major programs in the country have developed a winning culture quite like Mercer in the last three seasons, going 45-14 since the start of the 2022 trek and winning both the Big South regular season and tournament titles in every year since.

- In her 10^th season as the Bears' head coach, Samantha Eustace goes into Bailey Memorial with a 27-match conference winning streak. After a sluggish start to this spring, Mercer has beaten their first three divisional opponents by an average of 13 points each.

- Sophomore midfielder Ansley Walters submitted a huge victory for Mercer back on March 11, scoring with under five minutes remaining to help take down #9 Clemson. They've scored a total of 59 goals in Big South meetings, led by junior Caroline Glus with a team-high 43 points.

- The Bears have made it to the NCAA Tournament three years running, sporting a 6-2 record this season when competing on the road. Overall, Mercer ranks eighth in the nation with an average of 19 ground balls per game, sitting just outside the top ten with 25 shots-on-goal per game.


 
LAST TIME OUT
 
- Although junior goalkeeper Kayleigh Aitken turned in a sublime stat line last weekend in a visit to Winthrop, the Blue Hose were unable to evade an Eagle attack that piled up 48 shots and 37 on-target attempts. The final tally finished at 16-6 despite a career-high 21 saves from Aitken.

- That ties for the second-highest number of saves in a single game from any Division I player this year, stopping nine alone in the 2^nd period and surpassing her previous personal-best before the game had even reached halftime.

- Preseason all-league defender Avery West matched a career-high with six ground ball pickups, while senior captain Willow Hammond assembled her ninth all-time effort with at least four goals.

- Hammond ranks inside the country's top 25 with 11 makes in a free position opportunity, already holding the 3^rd-most goals in school history (118).