Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A senior day celebration and the biggest win for the Belmont University men's soccer program to date. Saturday was one for the record books for the Bruins, who upended 16th-ranked and Southern Conference leader UNC Greensboro 2-1 at E.S. Rose Park with a pair of second half goals.
The sophomore duo of midfielder AJ Chastonay and defender Case Cox linked up with just over nine minutes remaining for the game-winning goal but once again, it was Belmont's superb defensive effort that led to the Bruins' program record sixth-straight victory. After several phenomenal first-half saves by reigning Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week Drew Romig, senior forward Liam O'Brien collected his own rebound off the top post and drove the ball in the back of the net with a header for the 1-1 equalizer in the 53rd minute.
Extending the longest home winning streak in school history to 10, Belmont improved to 9-0 at Rose Park this season. The Spartans (9-3-1, 3-1-0) entered the weekend ranked No. 16 in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll, representing the highest-ranked team to ever play at Rose Park and the highest-ranked program the Bruins' have defeated at home. Belmont claimed a 2-1 overtime win at then 16th-ranked Furman University on Nov. 2, 2007.
Moving to 10-3-1 on the year and 4-1-0 in league play, the Bruins now sit atop of the SoCon standings. Achieving 10 wins in a single season for just the second time in Belmont history, the Bruins own the most victories since going 11-8-2 in 2008.
Entering the weekend having given up only two goals all season at home, Belmont found itself trailing at Rose Park for the first time this fall 10 minutes in. UNC Greensboro midfielder J.C. Ngando broke free for his fourth goal of the season after just over nine minutes of action, heading the ball into the upper right corner after receiving a pass inside the box from Spartan defender Joey Skinner.
Romig proceeded to keep the Bruins in the game as Belmont was outshot 13-3 in the first half. Of those shots, six were on target with Romig making five first-half saves. The Bruins also kept four UNC Greensboro corner kicks out of goal in the opening 45 minutes of play.
Two of Belmont's three first-half shots were on goal but neither Cox in the 14th minute nor senior forward Niccolo Dagnoni in the 27th minute could get the ball between the pipes.
It didn't take the Bruins' offense long to set up a strong attack in the second half with O'Brien scoring on Belmont's first ample opportunity. Senior forward Ares Marlonsson led O'Brien inside the box with a beautiful feed from the right side, but O'Brien's initial header on the cross hit the crossbar. Off the bar, O'Brien made a diving header and connected to even up the match at a goal apiece.
Limiting one of the most elite offenses in the nation to a single shot on goal in the second half, the Bruins tallied six shots and scored on two of their three shots on target across the final 45 minutes.
Moments after his equalizer, O'Brien nearly put Belmont ahead 2-1 before Chastonay's game winner in the 81st minute. Following a foul on the Spartans, Dagnoni placed a deep free kick from the left side into the box. The ball bounced off a UNC Greensboro defender before Cox passed the ball ahead to Chastonay as he was falling down. Racing toward goal, Chastonay used a right-footed strike for his sixth goal of the season.
O'Brien finished with four total shots and Romig collected six saves. The Spartans' Ngando and Theo Collomb each recorded five shots with two on target.
Senior midfielder/defender Jack Shaw was issued a yellow card in the 77th.
Of Note
- For the second-straight season the Bruins have defeated a top-25 opponent after knocking off 25th-ranked Furman on the road in the 2020-21 SoCon Championship semifinals last April.
- The win is Belmont's fourth over a nationally-ranked opponent in program history.
- The Bruins have now outscored their opponents 15-3 at Rose Park this season with their 10-match home winning streak dating back to last spring – a 1-0 victory over Mercy on April 3.
- Winning 12 of its last 14 home matches, Belmont has gone 18-7-3 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season.
- An impressive 10-1-1 across their last 12 matches and 5-0 in October, the Bruins have scored 14 goals in their last five outings.
- Chastonay has found the back of the net for a late-match game winner in each of Belmont's last two contests. He scored in the 86th minute to propel the Bruins past the University of Evansville in non-conference action Tuesday night.
- O'Brien's goal was his team-leading seventh of the season and 13th of his career, moving him into a three-way tie for the sixth-most in school history – Channing Twyner (2002-05) and Brian Holmes (1995-98). The Freehold, New Jersey, native has posted a pair of braces and a hat trick over the last two seasons.
- Romig, midfielder/defender Esteban Lestido, Marlonsson, Shaw and Dagnoni were honored prior to the match for senior day recognition.
Up Next
The Bruins close out the regular season on the road, wrapping up SoCon play next Saturday, Oct. 23 at Mercer before traveling to Eastern Illinois for a non-conference season finale next Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media - @BelmontMSoccer on Twitter and @belmontmsoccer on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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