Wofford Visits

Belmont (7-3-1, 2-1-0 SoCon) vs. Wofford (3-5-1, 1-0-1 SoCon) | Saturday, Oct. 9 | 5:00 p.m.
Nashville, Tennessee | E.S. Rose Park
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Belmont Match Notes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Continuing its four-match homestand, the Belmont University men's soccer team welcomes Wofford College for a Southern Conference tilt Saturday afternoon at E.S. Rose Park. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. as the Bruins (7-3-1, 2-1-0) seek their fourth consecutive victory and second-straight league win versus the visiting Terriers (3-5-1, 1-0-1).

The conference matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Graham Doty providing play-by-play of the contest. Live in-game statistics will be available via BelmontBruins.com.

What's Bruin

• On a program record six-match home winning streak, Belmont has given up just one goal at E.S. Rose Park this fall and has outscored its opponents 10-1.
• With a 4-0 defeat of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in non-conference action late Tuesday afternoon, the Bruins earned their school record-tying sixth shutout of the season. It marks the second time in program history Belmont has posted six shutouts in consecutive years. Four of Belmont's seven total wins during the unique 2021 spring season were shutouts, while the Bruins also had a pair of scoreless ties.
• On its second three-match win streak of the fall – Sept. 2-10 versus UNC Asheville (1-0), SIUE (1-0) and Georgia State (2-1, 2OT) – Belmont has another chance to tie the program record for consecutive victories Saturday. Following Tuesday's win, the Bruins are 7-1-1 across their last nine matches after posting a 5-1-1 record during the month of September.
• Winning nine of its last 11 home matches, Belmont has gone 15-7-3 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season.
• With a 5-0 SoCon win at Virginia Military Institute last Saturday afternoon, the Bruins' first road triumph of the season, Belmont has scored nine goals across its last two outings. The nine scores represent the most goals in back-to-back victories in school history.
• Five different Bruins have scored in Belmont's last two matches, including senior forward Liam O'Brien (4), sophomore midfielder AJ Chastonay (2), sophomore forward Esteban Leiva (1), sophomore midfielder Michael Saunders (1) and senior midfielder/defender Esteban Lestido (1).
• Chastonay, Saunders, O'Brien and Lestido all found the back of the net Tuesday against the Jaguars. A throw-in from senior defender John Bannec and a touch by Leiva led to Chastonay's goal in the closing seconds of the first half versus IUPUI. Saunders then had a tremendous sliding strike within the first few minutes of the second half for his second goal of the season before senior forward Ares Marlonsson connected with O'Brien for his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Around the 65th-minute mark, Lestido launched a rocket off his right foot on a free kick for his fourth career goal and first of the fall.
• The Bruins' offensive eruption has been supported by Belmont's continual superb defense. Tied with 19th-ranked UNC Greensboro atop the SoCon for fewest goals allowed this season (8), the Bruins rank 16th nationally in shutout percentage (.545) and 24th in goals against average (.702).
• Reigning SoCon Defensive Player of the Month Drew Romig has anchored Belmont's defense in front of the goal, owning the 10th-most shutouts in the nation (5) and ranking 22nd in the country with a .818 save percentage. The senior goalkeeper's .719 goals against average is 24th-best nationally while he ranks among the top 50 NCAA Division I goalies with 36 saves on the season. Following Tuesday's performance, he became the first Bruin to record five shutouts in a single season since Grayson Rector did so in 2013. Romig needs just one more shutout to tie Ron Gravely (2007) and Matt Renfrow (2003) for Belmont's single-season shutout record.
• O'Brien's second-half goal Tuesday was the 12th of his career, moving him into a three-way tie for the seventh-most in program history. The Freehold, New Jersey, native owns two braces and a hat trick across the last two season.
• Senior forward Niccolo Dagnoni has registered a team-best five assists this season and 20 for his career, he is only five away from tying Nico Olsak (2010-13) for the most ever by a Bruin. With a trio of goals, the Milan, Italy, native owns 11 points on the season and 50 for his career. In sole possession of third place among Belmont's all-time points leaders, Dagnoni needs just four more points to move into a tie for second. Dagnoni is also tied with Dan Meacock (2008-11) for the fourth-most goals in program history with 15 for his career.
• Saturday's matchup with Wofford will be the 12th meeting between the two programs with the Bruins holding a 6-4-1 advantage in the series. Since becoming members of the now seven-team SoCon in 2018, Belmont has gone 1-1-1 against the Terriers.
• The Bruins split trips to Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2018 (L, 3-2) and this past spring (W, 1-0) but finished in a 3-3 draw with Wofford at Rose Park in 2019.
• Dagnoni provided one of Belmont's two goals in the 2018 road matchup with the Terriers before notching a hat trick in Wofford's last visit to Nashville. In the spring, it was Chastonay who scored the differentiating goal in the 12th minute off assists from Marlonsson and Dagnoni.
• On Tuesday, Sept. 28, Belmont President Dr. Gregory Jones announced that Belmont would be joining the Missouri Valley Conference as its 11th member institution. The Bruins will begin competition in the MVC in the fall of 2022. The MVC is comprised of Missouri State, Loyola University Chicago, SIUE, Drake, Bradley and Evansville for men's soccer. Belmont will make up the seventh member in the league.

About the Terriers

• Coming off a 3-3 draw last Saturday night at East Tennessee State University, the Terriers have played just two SoCon matches and are fresh off a seven-day break from game action. Wofford opened league play with an 8-1 home win over visiting VMI on Saturday, Sept. 18.
• The Terriers and Bruins have played two common non-conference opponents in UNC Asheville and Georgia State. Wofford scored three times in a 3-0 home victory over the Bulldogs (Sept. 11) and dropped a 2-1 decision at Georgia State (Sept. 25). Belmont defeated both UNC Asheville (1-0 - Sept. 2) and Georgia State (2-1, 2OT - Sept. 10) at home.
• Picked to finish sixth in the SoCon, the Terriers went 1-7-1 overall and 1-4-1 in conference play with four points last spring. Wofford's lone win came 3-2 at VMI after tying 24th-ranked Furman on the road in a scoreless affair.
• Junior forward Brandon Oddy is tied with O'Brien for the third-most goals (6) in the SoCon this season, while senior defender Mitchell Myers leads the Terriers with a trio of assists. Both Myers and freshmen defender Christoffer Saietz have scored multiple goals this fall.

Up Next

The Bruins step out of SoCon action once again early next week when they host the University of Evansville for a future MVC matchup Tuesday evening. Kickoff from Rose Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the match broadcast on ESPN+.

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