Box Score LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Belmont Bruins fell to the 24th-ranked Louisville Cardinals 3-0 on Tuesday night at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium.
The sophomore forward tandem of Ares Marlonsson and Niccolo Dagnoni led the Bruins with one shot each on the night.
With a season-high eight saves in the match, junior goalkeeper Nicolo Dini passed Belmont alum Grayson Rector (2013-16) for the eighth-most career saves in program history (148).
The Cardinals logged three second-half goals, including a two-goal performance from senior forward Kino Ryosuke.
Dini held strong in the net early on, as the Bruins fended off three corner kicks from Louisville in the first five minutes of the match. Belmont's stout defense held Louisville scoreless for the remainder of the first 45 minutes, as the Bruins saw a pair of solid chances to score to end the half.
Dagnoni and Marlonsson each had breakaway opportunities on counter attacks in the last seven minutes of the first half, but were unable to find the back of the net.
Dini registered four saves between the posts for Belmont to keep the match knotted at 0-0 going into halftime.
To begin the second half, the Bruins applied more pressure on the offensive end and nearly netted a goal on a cross from junior midfielder Jack Shaw in the 51st minute.
Senior midfielder Cherif Dieye broke the tie for the Cardinals in the 69th minute, as Louisville added a pair of goals in the 70th and 79th minute to take a 3-0 lead. The Bruins nearly struck again in the final minutes of regulation on a free kick from Dagnoni in the 85th minute.
Overall, Belmont had two goals disallowed due to offsides calls. Four players logged a full 90 minutes for the Bruins: Dini, junior defender Marius Svendsen, senior forward Creaghan Diekema and sophomore defender Brett Royster.
ROAD WARRIORS: Belmont has been on the road for seven of its first 10 matches to start the 2019 season. The Bruins boast a 2-1-0 record at home this year, with two-consecutive wins at E.S. Rose Park.
UP NEXT: Belmont returns home for a two-match homestand to begin Southern Conference play. The Bruins first host the Wofford Terriers Saturday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. on Senior Day. To finish out the home stint, they take on the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
