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Belmont Athletics
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Bowling Green BGS (5-5-3, 2-2-0)
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Winner Belmont BEL (7-4-2, 3-2-0)
Bowling Green BGS
(5-5-3, 2-2-0)
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Final
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Belmont BEL
(7-4-2, 3-2-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bowling Green BGS 1 0 1
Belmont BEL 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Federico Pravettoni/Belmont Athletics

Bruins Win Third Straight in MVC Play on Senior Night Saturday

Senior Forward Ayden von Essen Scores Game Winner in 66th Minute

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With a triumphant 2-1 win over Bowling Green State University at E.S. Rose Park Saturday night, the Belmont University men's soccer team secured its third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference win of the season.
 
After playing eight of their last 10 matches away from the Music City, the Bruins (7-4-2, 3-2-0 MVC) returned to their home turf to honor the program's seven-man senior class.
 
Prior to the Valley match, midfielder Davis Eddleman, defender Colton Milosch, midfielders Sam Rowan and Michael Saunders, goalkeeper Aaron Stafford, forward Ayden von Essen and midfielder Jansen Wilson were honored for their contribution to Belmont.
 
The Bruins scored within the first few minutes of play, finding an early lead with sophomore forward Brock Kiper. Nearly halfway through the first half, Belmont conceded a goal to the visiting Falcons (5-5-3, 2-2-0 MVC) on a free kick from the right foot of midfielder Alberto Anaya. However, the duo of seniors Saunders and von Essen connected for the game-winning goal 21 minutes into the second stanza.
 
In the fourth minute of action, sophomore defender Riley Clothier took a long free kick from the right side of the Bruins' defensive third. Clothier's long ball caught the Falcons' defense, which was maintaining a high line, off guard and Kiper took advantage of it with his run. Using his body to gain position, Kiper turned and brought the ball onto his left foot inside the box and finished with a perfect strike into the bottom-left corner. Kiper's tally was his Belmont-leading fifth goal of the season. In the following minutes, the Bruins continued with high pressure, but Bowling Green started to establish its presence within Bemont's half.
 
Closing in on the 20-minute mark, the Falcons earned a free kick just outside the 18. In the 20th minute, Bowling Green's Anaya put the ball through the wall to tie the match.
 
Junior goalkeeper Grant Calvert, who did not see the trajectory leading to Anaya's equalizing goal, denied a crossed ball from the right in the 33rd minute by deflecting it away from the Burins' penalty box. Minutes later, Calvert made a save on a center shot from Falcon midfielder Andrew Shaffer.
 
In the 52nd minute, Anaya made himself dangerous again in Belmont's half. Receiving an aerial ball, the midfielder settled it down and looked for the right upper 90 but his effort ended slightly wide.
 
With 26 minutes remaining in the match, the Bruins substituted von Essen for Kiper. Two minutes later, Saunders played a long through ball over the top. Von Essen chased it and exploited the mistake of Bowling Green's defender, winning the ball, shooting it with his left and burying it in the bottom-left corner. Making an immediate impact off the bench, von Essen found his first goal of the season. Saunders earned his team-leading sixth assist of the year with his ball to von Essen. The Falcons had a chance to tie things up in the 71st minute, gaining another free kick just outside the box. Anaya took it again, but Belmont's wall stood strong blocking the attempt into a corner kick. Taking an inswinger Anaya aimed for the back post off the corner, but Calvert punched it away.
 
The Bruins' defense was spectacular in the final minutes to maintain the one-goal advantage. In fact, Belmont didn't give up a single shot in the last 19 minutes.
 
Bowling Green had five second-half corners, while the Bruins earned just one. Of Note
- Belmont has won four of its last five.
- Belmont has scored the opening goal in nine of its 13 matches this season.
- The Bruins improve to 2-0 all-time versus the Falcons. Saturday evening's match was the first between the two programs since Belmont's first season playing at Rose Park in 2011.
- The Bruins have gotten a result in 26 of their last 28 matches at home, outscoring their opponents 43-17 during that stretch.
- Since the start of the 2018 season, Belmont is 24-8-9 at Rose Park.
- Von Essen's game winner was his impressive 23rd goal of his career after scoring 21 goals while at NCAA Division II Lake Erie College.
- Saunders' assist was the 13th of his career, he is now tied for fourth all-time in program history.
 
Up Next
The Bruins remain in Nashville and host Bellarmine Tuesday for their final non-conference match of the season. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from Rose Park. The midweek 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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