Belmont (4-3-1) vs. Bellarmine (4-3-1) | Wednesday, Sept. 29 | 6:30 p.m.
Nashville, Tennessee | E.S. Rose Park
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Belmont Match Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the fifth time in the month of September, the Belmont University men's soccer team will be competing at E.S. Rose Park as the Bruins step out of Southern Conference play Wednesday and host Bellarmine University. The matchup with the ASUN Conference Knights will kick off at 6:30 p.m.
The Music City affair will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Will Boling providing play-by-play of the match. Live in-game statistics of the contest will be available via BelmontBruins.com.
What's Bruin
- Having won a program record four straight at home, Belmont (4-3-1) looks to make it five consecutive at Rose Park Wednesday evening. With a 1-1 draw at then 22nd-ranked Lipscomb two weeks ago two miles south on Belmont Boulevard, the Bruins have not been defeated in Nashville this season.
- Unbeaten in five of its last six matches, Belmont suffered its first setback since Aug. 29 this past Saturday night in Greenville, South Carolina, following a 2-1 bout with Furman University. The two teams split a pair of penalty kick goals and the host Paladins found the back of the net on a cross the 58th minute.
- Despite an early near go-ahead goal by sophomore midfielder AJ Chastonay and a near equalizing header by senior defender John Bannec just before the halftime break, the Bruins could not capitalize on opportunities in the opening 45 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Furman drew a foul inside the penalty box in the 26th minute and converted on its PK to take a 1-0 lead. The Paladins would go up by two goals in the second half before sophomore forward Esteban Leiva drew a foul of his own inside the 18 on a one-on-one breakaway in the 70th. Senior forward Niccolo Dagnoni stepped up for his second PK of the season and calmly sent his shot into the back of the net. Belmont was unable to put a shot on goal in the closing minutes, although the Bruins were able to gain possession in the attacking third several times.
- Now 2-for-2 on PKs this fall, Dagnoni registered his 15th career goal Saturday night at Furman. He is tied with Dan Meacock (2008-11) for the fifth-most goals in program history. The Milan, Italy, striker owns 48 career points and is in sole possession of third place among Belmont's all-time points leaders.
- With 18 career assists, including three already this fall, Dagnoni is seven away from tying Nico Olsak (2010-13) for the most ever by a Bruin.
- Winning seven of its last nine home matches, Belmont is 13-7-3 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season.
- Wednesday evening will be just the third regular season meeting between the Bruins and Bellarmine on the soccer pitch with the two teams splitting the first two matchups. Belmont racked up a trio of goals in a 3-0 shutout last February in Louisville, Kentucky, in the first regular season outing between the programs since September of 1994. While the Knights were still NCAA Division II members, Bellarmine defeated the Bruins 4-0 in Nashville.
- In August of 2012, the Knights claimed a 3-1 exhibition win over Belmont at Rose Park.
- AJ Chastonay's father, Tim Chastonay, is in his 24th season as the head coach of the Bellarmine men's soccer team. He has been at the helm of the program since 1998 and is the winningest coach in school history with a 216-171-42 all-time record. After leading the Knights to 208 victories over 22 seasons in Division II, Chastonay was named ASUN Coach of the Year this past spring following Bellarmine's inaugural Division I campaign.
- Taking on the Knights on the road for the Bruins' 2020-21 season opener last February, Belmont got a brace from AJ Chastonay and an insurance goal from senior forward Liam O'Brien. Scoring twice on his father's team, Chastonay found the back of the net in the 57th and 80th off assists from senior midfielder/defender Jack Shaw and O'Brien. Sophomore midfielder Michael Saunders assisted on O'Brien's goal in the 84th.
- Tuesday morning it was announced by Belmont President Dr. Gregory Jones that the Bruins would joining the Missouri Valley Conference as its 11th member institution. Belmont 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. The Bruins will make up the seventh member in the league.
About the Knights
- Bellarmine (4-3-1) went 4-4 overall last season in its first in Division I but posted a 3-1 record in ASUN play, securing the top seed in the league's North Division for the ASUN Championship. The Knights were ousted 2-1 in the conference tournament's semifinals by No. 2 North Division seed Florida Gulf Coast.
- Featuring three returning All-ASUN Second Team selections in junior forward Juan Ballas, junior midfielder Haziq Zed and senior midfielder Micah Linscott, Bellarmine was predicted to finish sixth in the now eight-team league.
- Four of the Knights' eight matches this season have been played in extra time with Bellarmine going 1-2-1 in overtime contests. In fact, each of the Knights' first three matches of the fall went into extra time as only one of Bellarmine's matches has been decided by more than a goal.
- The Knights and Belmont have three common opponents this season with Bellarmine falling 2-1 in overtime at home against then nationally-ranked Lipscomb on Sept. 18 and dropping a 2-0 decision at receiving-votes Central Arkansas this past Saturday. Last Tuesday, the Knights notched a 1-0 win at IUPUI. The Bruins face the Jaguars of IUPUI next Tuesday, Oct. 5 in Nashville.
- Ballas and sophomore midfielder Brock Pope lead the team with two goals apiece, while senior midfielder/defender Greg Fischer has a pair of assists to his name.
Up Next
Returning to SoCon action, Belmont traverses to Virginia Military Institute Saturday for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff in Lexington, Virginia. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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.
#ItsBruinTime
