NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Recording the first Missouri Valley Conference win in school history since Belmont University officially joined the league in July, the men's soccer program defeated visiting Bradley University 2-1 at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville Saturday evening. The match was the first MVC contest held in the Music City in any sport since Belmont became full conference members.
It took the Bruins (3-1-2, 1-0-0 MVC) only 10 minutes of MVC play to score their first goal in the new league and Belmont held off a feisty Bradley squad in the second half.
Sophomore defender
Dylan Steely registered his first career goal on a header and senior forward
Liam O'Brien found the back of the net for the third time of the season early in the second half before the visiting Braves (2-4-1, 0-1-0 MVC) got on the board in 80th minute.
Seven of the Bruins' 10 shots on the night were on target and Belmont scored on just its second shot of the match. The Bruins held Bradley to a single corner kick and only one first-half shot as graduate goalkeeper
Nate Logan came up with a trio of saves.
On Belmont's first free kick in the attacking third 10 minutes in, senior midfielder
Jansen Wilson roped a clean ball into the box where he found Steely. Rising up for the header, Steely drilled in his first collegiate goal to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
A solid defensive half of play ensued for Belmont with the hosts nearly tacking on another goal in the last 20 minutes before the break. Four of the Bruins' six shots in the first half were on goal.
In the 59th minute, junior midfielder
Michael Saunders split two defenders as he distributed a ball into the box from the right corner following a corner kick. Although the ball hit the ground before any Belmont player could get a head on it, O'Brien swiftly chipped in his 20th career goal to give the Bruins a 2-0 advantage.
Holding their own, the Braves set up for a free kick in the 80th minute and made it a one-goal affair when Bradley midfielder Patrick Fishburne curved in a rocket into the left upper 90 from just outside the top of the box.
The Braves nearly tied the match in the final seven minutes with Logan making a winning save in the 84th minute and Bradley barely missing the frame twice.
The win extends Belmont's home unbeaten streak to 14 matches.
Of Note
The Bruins' 14-match home unbeaten streak dates back to March 30, 2021, and Belmont has outscored its opponents 21-5 at Rose Park during that span. The Bruins have gotten a result in 16 of their last 18 home matches and are 20-7-5 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season. Including its four seasons in the Southern Conference, Belmont is 3-0-2 in its last five league openers. Head coach
David Costa is 3-0-1 in conference openers. Saturday's victory is just the Bruins' second versus the Braves and Belmont is now 2-4-1 all-time against Bradley. In sole possession of third place on Belmont's all-time goals list, O'Brien (20) is only two goals shy of tying second-place leader Fernando Castellanos (22). With 44 career points, O'Brien is now in sixth place among the Bruins' all-time points leaders.
Up Next
Belmont steps out of conference play Tuesday afternoon and travels to Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis for a 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET kickoff in Indianapolis. Next Saturday, the Bruins return to their MVC slate and visit Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
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