Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's soccer dropped a 1-0 decision to Cleveland State Saturday afternoon.
On the eve of Browns-Titans in the NFL, Cleveland and Nashville would battle in futbol at E.S. Rose Park.
The Vikings and Bruins met for a third consecutive season, with Belmont claiming a 1-0 victory at home last season.
Mother Nature would play a major role throughout the match, as unseasonably cool temperatures and winds gusting upwards of 35 miles per hour wreaked havoc on play.
Cleveland State controlled much of the first half, with Mike Derezik and Alex Obbey dictating play in the midfield. With Belmont unable to connect passes or relieve pressure on clearances or goal kicks into the stiff wind, the Vikings tallied nine shots and four corners in the opening 45.
Nonetheless, sophomore goalkeeper Grayson Rector (Peachtree City, Ga.) was not seriously challenged as the Belmont backline stayed unifed and purposeful.
Scoreless into the second half, Belmont rode momentum - and the wind - to increased scoring opportunities.
In the 59th minute, senior Luca Schioppa (Sao Paulo, Brazil) made a strong overlapping run down the right side. He attacked the Viking defense and found freshman Rashad Hyacenth (D'Abadie, Trinidad & Tobago) at the edge of the penalty area.
Hyacenth made one touch and fired towards net, but his promising strike went just wide of Nick Ciraldo.
Forceful play from senior Joao Fonseca (Aracaju, Brazil) and freshman Adriano Balani (Durres, Albania) enabled Belmont to generate more chances in the attacking third, including a Hyacenth header that Ciraldo grabbed well.
But in the 69th minute, Cleveland State struck. It started with a relatively harmless attack along the left flank, with Jake Lagania serving a ball into the Bruin box.
Yet as the Bruin defense and Rector paused to judge how to play the cross in the wind, Mike Derezic darted in and placed a flick header over everyone and into the back of the net.
Schioppa and Balani would have a decent chances in the final moments off restarts, but the Bruins were unable to equalize.
All told, Belmont outshot Cleveland State 8-4 in the second 45.
Belmont (1-10-0, 0-3-0 Horizon) returns to action Tuesday, Oct. 7 in non-conference play at Georgia State. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. CT.
