INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Junior midfielder
Michael Saunders registered his first career brace and the Belmont University men's soccer team earned a 2-1 road win at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Tuesday afternoon. Behind disciplined play for all 90 minutes, the Bruins (4-1-2) struck early and were effective in defending the final third of the field in unseasonably scorching conditions at Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.
Half of Belmont's eight shots on the afternoon were on target and Saunders went 2-for-2 on his strikes, scoring within the first three minutes of both halves.
The Bruins limited the host Jaguars (1-3-3) to only two shots on goal as graduate goalkeeper
Nate Logan made a pair of spectacular plays in the final 15 minutes.
Extending its win streak to three and picking up its second road victory of the season, Belmont needed less than three minutes to take a 1-0 lead when a beautiful cross from senior midfielder
Jansen Wilson found a sliding Saunders in the third minute.
IUPUI would have chances early in the opening half and the Bruins posted two more shots on target, but the two squads went into the break still at a one-goal match.
Saunders, a native of Whitchurch, England (Testbourne Community School), once again found the back of the net within the beginning minutes of the second half. Just two minutes into the half, Saunders launched a rocket off his right foot on a loose ball outside the 18 after senior midfielder
Kyle Barks went down on the attack inside the box. An absolute missile, Saunders' shot angled into the upper right-side of the net in the 47th minute to put Belmont up 2-0.
The Jaguars didn't have a second-half shot until the 64th minute when IUPUI's Josemir Gomez scored off passes from Kade Tepe and Edgar Correia, making it a single-goal affair once again.
Despite the Bruins getting a pair of shots, the Jaguars controlled the ball for the rest of the match. IUPUI tallied six shots across the closing 25 minutes, but Logan made two fantastic punch outs and Belmont's back line stood its ground.
Of Note
The Bruins improve to 3-1-1 versus IUPUI and Belmont is 3-1-2 in non-conference contests this season. Wilson's assist on Saunders' first goal was his team-leading fourth of the year. Saunders' brace represents his first two goals of the season; he has scored five times in his career.
Up Next
The Bruins continue their two-match week on the road Saturday when Belmont heads to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Ralph Korte Stadium.
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