Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The storied Battle of the Boulevard matchup with rival Lipscomb (3-3-2) was a wild ride on Monday night on the road for the Belmont women's soccer team. The Bruins (2-4) were handed their second loss ever in the series, falling 4-0.
The first half opened with a high pace and with the Bruins controlling the ball, keeping it lodged Lady Bisons' half of the field for almost the first eight minutes. LU got into the game and forced the game into a heavy back and forth battle. Lipscomb was first to find the back of the net in the 21st minute but Belmont continued to work.
Sophomore Cassie Blase (Waukesha, Wisc.) nearly netted the equalizer on a high rocket that barely skimmed the crossbar in the 30th minute. Encouraged by the near miss, the Bruins intensified their offensive pressure, sending several balls into the box, just narrowly missing connections as crosses.
Lipscomb netted its second goal of the night just four minutes into the second stanza to go up 2-0. The Bruins turned up the heat and saw senior Katie Proud (Knoxville, Tenn.) fire a shot at the LU goal that gave Belmont its fifth corner kick of the night. But just 30 seconds later, the Lady Bisons scored its third goal at the 52:19 mark with a vicious diagonal shot to find the upper left corner. BU recovered and soon began pressuring the ball, on the hunt for its first goal of the contest but was unable to find the right combination to score.
Twelve minutes later, the Lady Bisons scored again off a deflection in the box to take a 4-0 lead. Despite the large deficit, the Bruins continued to rally and fight in hopes of making a dent as time ticked down. Unfortunately, time was not on Belmont's side in the annual matchup as they fell by the same score.
"Any loss is hard especially when we aren't playing our game," said Head Coach Heather Henson. "We have to get back to how we play our game.
"The team battled the whole time, pressing and playing until the end. We have to play our game to get more chances."
Belmont held the narrow advantage in shots, 13-11 and corner kicks, 5-4.
Blase and senior Amy Jo Anderson (Birmingham, Ala.) led the Bruins with three shots each.
Senior Nicole Berner (Randolph, N.J.) and sophomore Lindsey Espe (LaCañada, Calif.) split time in goal. Espe notched her first save of the season in the effort.
Belmont returns to action on Friday at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins host Western Kentucky for a tilt beginning at 4 p.m. The match can be seen live online via the OVC Digital Network and live stats will be available.
