Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont Bruins dropped 2-1 to the UNC Greensboro Spartans in its second match of Southern Conference play Tuesday evening at E.S. Rose Park.
Sophomore midfielder Kyle Barks logged his first-career goal as a Bruin in the 51st minute on a corner kick from midfielder/defender Sam Borgel. Sophomore goalkeeper Cameron Petty logged a career-high four saves on 12 shots faced from UNC Greensboro.
The Spartans were led by a pair of goals from junior midfielder Payne McKiver (55th minute) and senior midfielder Faisal Almubaslat (72nd minute).
It only took six minutes for Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week Niccolo Dagnoni to get to work, as he nearly found the back of the net with a header. UNC Greensboro went on to log a pair of corner kicks in the first 15 minutes, but Petty reeled in two saves to keep the match scoreless.
The two teams traded field position, until Dagnoni notched Belmont's first shot on goal of the match in the 33rd minute.
One of the Bruins best chances to score came from the head of sophomore forward Liam O'Brien on a throw-in from sophomore defender Brett Royster in the 39th minute. O'Brien logged the Bruins second shot on goal less than a minute after substituting into the match.
The Spartans rounded out the final time of the first 45 minutes with a corner kick, but it was cleared away by Petty to keep the match scoreless going into halftime.
Barks got Belmont on the scoreboard with a go-ahead 51st-minute strike from inside the box to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. UNC Greensboro responded just four minutes later courtesy of McKiver, who tallied the equalizer on a service from freshman midfielder Matthew Skinner.
Following 16 minutes of scoreless action, the Spartans struck for the second and final time on a penalty kick from Almubaslat to take a 2-1 advantage in the 72nd minute.
Dagnoni and junior forward Jordan Dozzi each saw chances to score for the Bruins in the final 15 minutes but were unable to convert, as UNC Greensboro nabbed the road victory.
Overall, Belmont registered five shots on goal, while five separate Bruins logged a shot on the evening. The two teams combined for a total of 40 fouls in the physical contest.
UP NEXT: The Bruins hit the road for a two-match Southern Conference road swing, as they take on the Mercer Bears Saturday at 6 p.m. in Macon, Ga. Belmont will finish out its road stint with a trip to Lexington, Va. for a bout with the VMI Keydets on Saturday, Sept. 26.
