Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont men's soccer was shutout by the Furman Paladins, 3-0, Tuesday evening at E.S. Rose Park.
Despite leading the Paladins in shots, corner kicks and matching them in shots on target, the Bruins (5-2-2, 2-2-1 SoCon) fell in the windy Tuesday tilt. With the win, Furman clinched its second consecutive SoCon regular season championship and the top seed in the conference tournament.
Belmont was led by senior midfielder Esteban Lestido, who tabbed a career-high seven shots with four on target. Junior midfielder Kyle Barks netted a goal in the second half to cut the team's deficit to one score, but it was disallowed due to an offsides call.
The Paladins (7-1, 5-0 SoCon), who are currently ranked No. 24 in Top Drawer national rankings, tallied three unassisted goals. Junior midfielder Miles Fenton fueled Furman with a brace to log the program's 21st regular season title.
A Lestido bicycle kick started the first half for the Bruins in the fifth minute, as the Paladins keeper was forced to make a save on the attempt. Senior goalkeeper Drew Romig collected his first save on the night in the 15th minute, but Furman broke through less than a minute later courtesy of Fenton to take a 1-0 lead.
Belmont saw consecutive looks to tie the match up in the 23rd minute, but one of the attempts was saved by the keeper, as the Paladins remained in front. Senior forward Jordan Dozzi notched his first shot of the season but missed right of the goal in the 26th minute.
Senior forward Cole McLagan netted Furman's second goal with a free kick just outside the top of the box. Lestido nearly answered in the 40th minute with another shot on frame but was unable to find the back of the net.
Senior midfielder Jack Shaw's header to finished out the first 45 minutes was saved, while the Bruins trailed 2-0 going into halftime.
Yet another shot from Lestido opened the second half for Belmont, as the shot went above the top-right of the net in the 48th minute. Minutes later, Barks' goal for the Bruins was disallowed for an offsides whistle.
The freshman midfielder tandem of Michael Saunders and AJ Chastonay each fired quality shots in the 68th and 69th minutes, but neither player connected. Fenton recorded his second goal of the night in the 73rd minute to triple the Paladin advantage.
Junior forward Ares Marlonsson tabbed a pair of shot attempts to round out the final 10 minutes of the match, but Furman still took home the 3-0 road win.
Overall, seven different Belmont players logged shots, while the Bruins led in the shot column by a hefty 15-9 margin. Belmont also finished with a 2-0 advantage in corners and six shots on target.
FIRING AWAY: The Bruins' 15 shots on Tuesday came as their second-most in a match this season, as five separate players have recorded 10-plus shots this year.
WIN TO GET IN: With seven points apiece in conference play, the winner of Saturday's home matchup against Mercer will claim a spot in the 2021 SoCon Tournament.
UP NEXT: The Bruins return to action for their regular season finale and Senior Day against the Bears this Saturday, April 3.
