Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A defensive minded Belmont women's soccer team (1-7-1, 0-1 OVC) was unable to hold off visiting in-state rival Tennessee Tech (3-4-3, 1-0 OVC) on Thursday night. The Golden Eagles scored a goal late in the second half to edge the Bruins, 1-0, at Rose Park.
A tremendous back and forth battle marked the first half between the long-time rivals. Both teams leaned on a strong defensive effort to keep their opponent from getting too close to the box for long stretches. The effort was so stingy for both that they only combined for two shots in the first 25 minutes. Finally, the teams were able to start connecting offensively but neither was able to string together any crosses to set up a significant scoring opportunity, sending the teams to the locker rooms locked in a 0-0 stalemate.
In the second half, the back and forth battle quickly resumed however, the Bruins would gain control of the time of possession for most of the half on both sides of the ball. Rookie Sarah Bossung (Nashville, Tenn.) came away with a crucial defensive header in front of the net to stop a TTU cross around the 55 minute mark. The Bruins kept the pressure up and continued to encroach the attacking third but just barely missed on crosses to set up great opportunities. In the 69th minute of action, junior Meg Howard (Brentwood, Tenn.) fired a rocket at TTU's goal that saw Naerdemann juggle the ball in her attempt to make a stop.
The seemingly evenly matched contest continued to battle into the waning minutes of regulation. Finally, Tennessee Tech used a serve to get into the box and in the confusion after a defensive block was able to use a ricochet to find the back of the net in the 84th minute. Despite continued pressure from BU, the Golden Eagles were content to play keep away to hold on for their first win of the OVC season.
"I thought we brought the energy and the mentality to battle tonight," said Head Coach Heather Henson. "I thought we did a good job of creating opportunities and we defended well.
"It was definitely a game in the middle tonight. We just need to convert on the opportunities we create and continue to build."
Howard led the Bruins with three shots, followed by freshman Allie Svoboda (Lisle, Ill.) with two.
Netminder Stephanie Bukovec (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) finished with four saves on the night.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday with a stop on the road at Morehead State. Kickoff is set for Noon CT. Live stats will be available.
