Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont women's soccer battled gusty winds and a tough Murray State squad to close out its home slate Sunday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins put together a solid defensive effort against the Racers, but ultimately dropped a 1-0 decision on a second half goal.
The squad suffered just its second shutout of the season, dropping them to a 9-5-1 overall mark and a 5-3-0 record in conference play. While they struggled to get shots off, the Bruins did an outstanding job of disrupting the Racers (11-1-2, 6-0-2 OVC) offense all afternoon.
Murray State controlled the pace for most of the match, outshooting BU, 13-8. Despite having to defend their goal often, the Bruins refused to let up. MSU fired off four consecutive shots in the opening minutes, but failed to find an open look as the ball flew off frame each time.
It was in the 12th minute that Belmont got one of its best looks of the first stanza when freshman Sydney Cason (Hendersonville, Tenn.) showed off some fancy footwork, alluding a Racer defender and keeping the ball in play to serve a cross in the box. Sophomore Anna Brock Hawkins (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) met the ball roughly 15 yards out but put a little too much power into it as the ball soared over the frame.
From then on Murray State found a way to keep the play in their attacking third, putting the Bruin defenders to work early and often. In the middle of the frame the Racers earned three corners with in a span of three minutes, all of which BU cleared before they could even get a play off.
With only two minutes left in the first half Murray State's Harriet Withers took the ball to the corner of the 8-yard box and looked to give the Racers an advantaged heading into the locker room, but sophomore keeper Lily Herman (Springboro, Ohio) had other plans. As Withers blasted her fourth shot of the half Herman made a diving save, stopping the ball with the heal of her foot and denying MSU of a goal.
As the winds picked up in the latter half of the game, Belmont was at the wrong end of the field with the gusts blowing straight into its goal. However, the squad showed its determination to create shots as sophomore Niki Clements (Perkasie, Pa.) delivered the Bruin first shot of the frame in the 54th minute but couldn't convert.
Herman made another great read on the ball moments later with a Racer quickly approaching striking distance. As Miyah Watford gathered for a shot Herman dove and scooped up the ball to keep the match scoreless.
It was in the 64th minute that MSU would strike on a corner kick from Withers that bounced around in the box before Watford would use a sliver of an opening to put the ball in the back of the net and give Murray State a 1-0 lead.
From then on the Bruins did everything they could to trigger the equalizer, but had no such luck. Rookie Haley Poynter (Lexington, Ky.) came close on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that took a favorable bounce for BU, but Murray State keeper Alex Steigerwald would collect the ball and halt Belmont's chance at tying the game up.
UP NEXT
Belmont closes out its regular season on the road with matches at Morehead State on Friday, Oct. 20 and Eastern Kentucky on Sunday, Oct. 22.
