The Mercer Bears outscored the Air Force Falcons in the fourth quarter, 6-1, to pick up a 15-13 road win, their first Southern Conference victory of the 2021 campaign. Mercer was behind for the majority of the contest but never let the lead get out of its grasp. Six goals in the final 15 minutes were the catalyst for the road victory. The Bears improved to 4-5 overall and 1-1 in SoCon play, while Air Force dropped to 2-5 and 1-1 in league action. Jack McGuire was the first Bear to find the back of the net, tying the contest at one 3:32 into the action. Daniel Shumake scored at the 8:23 mark of the first quarter, but Air Force's Matthew O'Rourk answered before Taylor Dooley netted his first goal of the afternoon. Dooley's goal with 6:40 to go in the period made it a 4-3 game in favor of the Falcons, but Air Force extended its lead to 5-3 after 15 minutes. Sophomore goalkeeper Colin Kelley displayed his athleticism early and often, making three saves in the first quarter. He was challenged with 10:17 remaining in the second period and made the save. The final 15 minutes before the half were a defensive battle as the two teams combined for only three goals. Kyle Cox became Mercer's fourth different goal scorer, pulling the Bears within one goal, 4-5, with 3:33 until the intermission. The Falcons pushed their lead back to three, taking advantage of a face-off violation by the Bears. Dylan Frankhouser won at the face-off X and Brandon Dodd found Brenden Crouse with 2:45 to play. Course extended Air Force's lead to 6-4, but Dooley contributed his second goal of the day 65 seconds before the buzzer signaled the intermission. The two teams traded goals throughout the early portion of the third quarter before Air Force scored two unanswered goals to take a 10-7 lead. The Bears refused to quit, and used two scores in seven seconds – one by Ryan Katchen and another by Sean Goldsmith – to pull within one, 10-9, with 4:45 remaining in the quarter. Air Force took a 12-9 lead after 45 minutes with back-to-back goals to end the period. Mercer made a statement in the fourth quarter by holding the Falcons to one goal and scoring six of its own to leave Colorado with a Southern Conference win. Will McCarthy opened the scoring with a goal at the 12:22 mark of the last period. 6:07 later, the Falcons' three-goal lead was completely erased thanks to goals by Cox and Michael Quinn. Quinn's goal with 6:15 to play in the fourth put the Orange & Black ahead, 13-12, and the Bears never surrendered the lead. Cox's third and final goal of the battle gave Mercer a multi-goal advantage, and Dooley added an insurance goal, his fourth of the day, with 22 seconds left. Air Force scored with six seconds remaining, but it did not threaten the visitors, and Mercer left Colorado with a 15-13 win. Air Force outshout Mercer, 51-34, and placed 52.9 percent (27-of-51) of its shots on goal. The Bears were accurate throughout the 60-minute contest, putting 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) shots on frame. Dooley led the Orange & Black with four goals, while Cox (three goals) and Goldsmith (two goals) also scored multiple goals. Kelley was fantastic in goal, making 14 stops. NOTABLES The Bears picked up their first Southern Conference victory of 2021 and evened their league record at 1-1. Mercer earned its second win in program history against the Falcons. The Bears evened their road record at 2-2 overall. Kelley has made at least 10 saves in each of Mercer's last seven contests. He made 14 stops in Saturday's triumph. Kelley needs 30 more saves for the fifth-most stops in one season. McCarthy is three goals away from 20 for the season. Goldsmith became the Bears' third double-digit goal scorer of the season. Cole Leggett recorded an assist for the second consecutive contest. Ashton Wood grabbed 10 groundballs, bringing his total to 80 in 2021, which is fourth among single-season totals. The Bears recorded 25 points for the second straight game. Mercer had only 12 turnovers in the comeback win, its lowest total of the 2021 campaign. UP NEXT The Bears will return to Five Star Stadium on April 11 when the nationally ranked Richmond Spiders visit Macon for a Southern Conference contest. Face-off between the Bears and No. 13 Spiders is set for 11 a.m. FOLLOW THE BEARS For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com