Box Score LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Belmont men's soccer logged a 3-0 shutout victory in its season opener over the Bellarmine Knights Sunday afternoon at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.
The Bruins (1-0) were fueled by a trio of second-half goals, which included a brace from freshman midfielder AJ Chastonay and an 84th-minute header from junior forward Liam O'Brien.
The pair of goals came as Chastonay's first of his career, as his father Tim Chastonay roamed the sidelines as head coach of the Knights (0-2). O'Brien notched the third goal and second assist of his career Sunday, as freshman midfielder Michael Saunders and senior midfielder Jack Shaw each logged assists on the afternoon.
The Bruins got off to a hot start, with a pair of shot attempts from junior midfielder Kyle Barks and O'Brien within the first five minutes of the match. Bellarmine's goalkeeper was given a red card minutes later, as the Knights would have to play shorthanded for the remainder of the contest.
Junior defender John Bannec's first shot at Belmont fell on target, as his header in the 17th minute was punched over the post by the Bellarmine keeper. Saunders nearly found the back of the net five minutes later, but his volley attempt soared wide left.
The Knights applied pressure on the Bruins' half of the field to end the first 45 minutes of play, as junior goalkeeper Cameron Petty corralled his first save of the season in the 25th minute. Bellarmine tested Belmont with two shots in the final 10 minutes of the half but failed to convert to keep it the match scoreless.
At the half, the Bruins posted four shots with one on target courtesy of Bannec, while they racked up three corner attempts. Bellarmine out-shot Belmont with five attempts and matched the Bruins in corners through 45 minutes of action.
Senior midfielder Nigel Leo started the second half for Belmont with a volley attempt that flew just high of the crossbar in the 50th minute. After subbing in just one minute prior, Chastonay found the back of the net in the 57th minute on a service from Shaw to put the Bruins up one goal.
Chastonay netted another goal in the 80th minute on a pass from O'Brien, who sealed the deal in the 84th minute on a header to give Belmont the 3-0 shutout victory.
Overall, the Bruins finished with nine shots with five on target, as Petty tallied his third clean sheet of his career with three saves.
SEASON OPENER SUCCESS: With Sunday's win over the Knights, Belmont has lost just one season opening match in the last six years. The Bruins also remain unbeaten in their last two season openers under head coach David Costa.
DEVELOPING A TREND: Dating back to last season, Belmont has registered three shutout wins in its last four appearances on the pitch. It previously shutout VMI and ETSU in the first two rounds of the 2019 SoCon Tournament by a combined score of 6-0.
FRESHMEN IN THE MIX: The Bruins received a total of five points from their freshman class in their 2021 debut, which included two goals and an assist from the freshman midfielder duo of AJ Chastonay and Michael Saunders.
UP NEXT: Belmont returns home for its home opener against the Central Arkansas Bear Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m.
