Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont women's soccer wrapped up its non-conference slate with a tough matchup against Western Kentucky Saturday evening inside Rose Park. The Bruins struggled to get much going offensively as they dropped a 3-0 decision to the Lady Hilltoppers.
BU (1-4-3) lacked its usual energy from the get go as it relinquished the first goal of the game in the opening minutes. WKU (6-3) found the back of the net in the sixth minute on its first look of the day to take an early 1-0 lead that would stand for the remainder of the half.
"Western is a great team, Jason and his staff do a great job," head coach Heather Henson said. "They're very organized but we just didn't bring our normal energy, we didn't look like ourselves today. From the sideline to the field, we just didn't have it tonight and it showed."
After finding themselves down one early, the Bruins worked hard to find the equalizer as junior forward Belicia Mendiola (McKinney, Texas) launched Belmont's first shot and forced Western Kentucky's goalkeeper Allison Leone to corral the ball. Sophomore Allie Svoboda (Lisle, Ill.) created another tough attack minutes later that once again gave Leone no choice but to jump and punch the ball out of play to keep it from going in. Belmont earned a couple of corners after Svoboda's shot but couldn't convert on either.
Despite working their way down the field multiple times in the first half, Belmont only tallied four shots. Sophomore midfielder Emily Whitcomb (Elmhurst, Ill.) led the squad with a pair of shots in the first stanza.
Sophomore midfielder Karen Baker (Midland, Mich.) made some big plays throughout the match as the Bruins had to fight for possession of the ball offensively for a majority of the night. Baker worked the field on both ends as she cleared a ball inside the 18-yard box to keep WKU from getting a look at the goal.
While the Bruins were able to keep the Hilltoppers' high-octane offense fairly quiet after their early goal, they succumbed to the pressure in the second frame. WKU's Bria Mosley notched a pair of goals in the 67th and 79th minutes to give Western Kentucky a 3-0 advantage that would seal the victory. It's the first time this season that Belmont has surrendered more than two goals and just the third time that it's been shutout.
Freshman goalkeeper Lily Herman (Springboro, Ohio) got her second starting nod of the year and made crucial saves throughout the match. Her first came in the 21st minute when the Lady Toppers attempted to double their lead with a shot from the top of the 18-yard box and Herman made a diving save to deny the attempt. The rookie robbed another one when she rushed the opponent and blocked the shot to collect her six save of the night.
Belmont never let up, even in the final minutes of the match. The Bruins created three different looks in the final five minutes but couldn't convert on anything. Sophomore midfielder Jessi Boozer (Brentwood, Tenn.) sent a ball from 30-yards out that just barely missed sneaking in the top of the goal in the 85th minute.
UP NEXT
Belmont will welcome conference play at home next Friday, Sept. 23 with Eastern Kentucky. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins will then head to Tennessee Tech Sunday, Sept. 25.
