NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Returning to Nashville Tuesday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex, the Belmont University men's soccer team suffered a 4-2 comeback defeat in an intense Battle of the Boulevard matchup against nearby rival Lipscomb University.
The Bruins entered the match riding a three-match win streak.
Belmont (6-4-2) put together a great first-half performance in the non-conference contest, taking an advantage with graduate forward
Case Cox scoring in the opening 30 minutes. However, the Bisons (6-2-3) knotted things up via forward Tyrese Spicer in the second half before the Bruins regained the lead off the foot of senior midfielder
Sam Rowan.
Denied twice by the woodwork, Belmont could not separate itself by more than a goal and was outperformed by Lipscomb's offensive firepower in the final ten minutes of play.
Despite a strong first 45 minutes, the Bruins risked an early disadvantage in the ninth minute when Bison forward Malachi Jones hit the post on a right-footed effort at the top of Belmont's box. Junior goalkeeper
Grant Calvert maintained composure and on the rebound, denied Lipscomb the lead with a decisive save.
In the 28th minute, senior midfielder
Michael Saunders delivered a free kick from the right flank into the box. Cleared by the Bisons' defense, graduate midfielder
Jansen Wilson settled the ball just outside the 18-yard box and placed a powerful strike on target looking for the upper 90. The attempt was deflected into a corner kick by Lipscomb goalkeeper Juan Carlos Rodriguez, setting up the Bruins' go-ahead goal.
Saunders took the corner and found Cox, who headed the ball into the net to give Belmont a one-nil lead in the 29th minute.
Providing a strong performance on the back line with imposing sophomore defender
Dylan Steely and Calvert's presence in front of goal, the Bruins were able to tame the Bisons' offensive options through the first half.
In the 48th minute, Saunders cut into the penalty box from the right side and with a few stepovers disorienting his defender he brought the ball to his right and sent it toward the front post. Stopped by keeper Rodriguez, Belmont won four consecutive corners.
On the fourth corner, Saunders played the ball short to senior captain midfielder
AJ Chastonay who found a free Wilson at the top of the six-yard box with a through ball. Wilson finished with a right-footed one touch and hit the post.
In the 55th minute, Lipscomb's Spicer nearly tied things up when he hit the crossbar on a free kick. The nation's leading scorer did so nine minutes later when he earned a penalty kick and converted the equalizer.
Eager to retake the lead, the Bruins continued to attack. On a free kick, Saunders crossed the ball into the box with an inswinger. After his feed was cleared by the defense, Steely headed the ball back in to graduate forward
Esteban Leiva who headed it over to Rowan inside the six-yard box. The ball found Rowan's left foot and he tapped it in for his second career goal. The 72nd-minute score reestablished Belmont's advantage and gave the visitors a promising 2-1 lead.
The Bruins nearly made it 3-1 in the 80th minute when Chastonay played Wilson into the space. On a counterattack starting from the left flank, Wilson dribbled while cutting into the field and launched a determined shot that struck the front post. It was his second attempt of the night that collided with the framework.
In the closing 10 minutes of play, Belmont was stretched by the Bisons whose speed and technical difficulties hurt the Bruins in the final third. With three lethal finishes by defender Nick Dang in the 82nd from defender George Macready and midfielder Luca Naumann, Jones in the 85th from midfielder Ploutarchos Alonefti, and Naumann in the 88th from Spicer, Lipscomb overturned the match for a 4-2 result.
Calvert finished with a career-high seven saves.
Of Note
- The four goals allowed are the most for Belmont since a 4-3 loss in the 2021 Southern Conference Championship title match at Mercer on Nov. 14, 2021.
- The Bruins drop to 10-12-4 in the Battle of the Boulevard rivalry.
- The loss is Belmont's first against Lipscomb since 2018.
- Cox's first-half goal was his second tally of the season and ninth of his career.
- Saunders recorded his 12th career assist and is now Belmont's active career leader.
- Leiva's assist on Rowan's goal was only his second as a Bruin and first since the fall 2021 season.
- Steely has either scored or assisted on a goal for four consecutive matches dating back to Sept. 26 at Presbyterian College.
Up Next
Belmont returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Saturday when the Bruins host Bowling Green for senior night at E.S. Rose Park. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and the Valley 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.
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