Bruins Earn Sixth Shutout of Season with 2-0 Win Over Visiting EIU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Imposing its will from the opening kickoff, the Belmont University men's soccer team extended its non-conference unbeaten streak to five with a convincing 2-0 win over visiting Eastern Illinois Wednesday evening at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins (6-3-6), who earned their first victory of October, claimed their sixth shutout of the season behind a season-high 27 shots, including 10 shots on goal, and a season-best 14 corner kicks.

Limiting the Panthers (1-10-3) to only three shots and zero shots on target, Belmont extended its home unbeaten streak to 18.
 
Senior forward Liam O'Brien, who became the winningest player in program history with the triumph, netted his team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 57th minute and junior forward Esteban Leiva headed in his first score of the year in the 66th minute.

The space between the pipes remarkably eluded the Bruins for the first 56-and-a-half minutes of play, despite Belmont tallying an impressive 19 shots and six corners in the first half. Holding EIU to a single shot in the first 59 minutes of action, the Bruins racked up eight shots on target before connecting on their final two shots on goal in the last 35 minutes.

Panther goalkeeper Chad Smith, who finished with seven saves, made two fantastic plays to keep Belmont out of the net. Junior midfielder Michael Saunders nearly scored an upper 90 goal 20 minutes in when his strike came millimeters from getting past diving Smith's gloves. In the 53rd minute, junior forward Ayden von Essen nearly scored his first goal as a Bruin when he went full bicycle kick following a long throw-in. His shot would have almost certainly landed him a spot on ESPN's SportsCenter if it had gotten past Smith's hands, which blocked the ball off the right post.

Senior midfielder Kyle Barks recorded his first career assist when he shuffled a ball over to O'Brien near the top of the 18-yard box. O'Brien collected before driving in his 22nd career goal to give Belmont a one-nil lead.

???????????????????????

None other than @liam_obrien20 in the 57th minute!

O'Brien with career goal No. 2??2?? from @kyle_barks ???#ItsBruinTime pic.twitter.com/axrQjbh4ST

— Belmont Men's Soccer (@BelmontMSoccer) October 27, 2022

A corner from junior midfielder Sam Rowan led to the Bruins' second goal of the night. EIU's Smith attempted to snag Rowan's service in the air but he was unable to maintain possession as the ball bounced off the turf for Leiva to punch in his first goal of the season.

We've got a 2-0 match?

Junior forward @Estebanleiva09 with his ?????????? ???????? of the season in the 66th minute! ???#ItsBruinTime pic.twitter.com/w2BzpVyoeb

— Belmont Men's Soccer (@BelmontMSoccer) October 27, 2022

Junior midfielder AJ Chastonay had a career-high eight shots and senior midfielder Jansen Wilson accounted for four shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Grant Calvert made his first appearance in front of the net, earning his first collegiate start and collecting a clean sheet.

Of Note
The win is Belmont's first since Sept. 24th at SIUE (1-0) and first home victory since Sept. 17 versus Bradley (2-1). The Bruins have earned back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season. Belmont owns 15 shutouts in two seasons, including 11 at home. The Bruins' 18-match home unbeaten streak dates back to March 30, 2021. Belmont has outscored its opponents 26-8 during that span. The Bruins have gotten a result in 20 of their last 22 matches at Rose Park and are 21-7-8 at home since the start of the 2018 season. With 22 career goals, O'Brien is tied with Fernando Castellanos (2002-03) for the second-most ever by a Belmont player and he is only nine goals shy of all-time program leader Brandon Tarr (2009-12). His 48 career points rank him fourth on the Bruins' all-time scoring list, surpassing Nico Olsak (2010-13) and Will Moorad (2008-11) Wednesday night. O'Brien has been involved in 35 match wins over his five-year Belmont career, passing recent program graduates Ares Marlonsson (2017-21) and Esteban Lestido (2017-21) for the most victories while donning the Bruin jersey. Graduate midfielder JP Armbruster, Barks and fellow senior midfielder Corey Lavinder have been a part of 31 match wins.
 
Up Next
Belmont will have a week off from match action before wrapping up the regular season next Wednesday on the road at Evansville. Kickoff from Arad McCutchan Stadium in Evansville, Indiana, is slated for 6 p.m. The Missouri Valley Conference match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media – @BelmontMSoccer on Twitter, @belmontmsoccer on Instagram and Belmont University Men's Soccer on Facebook – 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.