Bruins Fall to Flames in MVC Quarterfinals

CHICAGO – The Belmont University men's soccer team traveled to the University of Illinois Chicago for the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Championship. The sixth-seeded Bruins (8-7-3) and third-seeded Flames (11-4-3) squared off for the second year in a row in the quarterfinals of the MVC Championship.
 
All three goals were scored in the second half. The physical match, which saw five yellow cards issued in the final 45 minutes of play, ended with the Flames defeating the Bruins, 2-1.
 
UIC outshot the Bruins 7-1 in the first half. Belmont goalkeeper Grant Calvert made two saves, and kept the Flames off the board. Belmont's best chance at scoring came on their first corner kick of the match in the 44th minute.

The first goal of the match came from a UIC penalty kick. Defender Jesus De Vicente scored by skipping in the ball to the bottom-right corner of the net in the 52nd minute.

The Bruins responded shortly after in the 56th. Sophomore defender Dylan Steely drew a foul from De Vicente roughly 25 yards away from the goal. Graduate midfielder Jansen Wilson stepped up and delivered a beautiful free kick to the top-right corner of the net. Jansen's equalizer revamped Belmont for the remainder of the match.

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— Belmont Men's Soccer (@BelmontMSoccer) November 5, 2023

The Flames missed opportunities to regain the lead in the 67th and 68th minute. The Bruins earned another free kick in the 73rd minute. Wilson took the free kick in almost the same location where he scored earlier, but missed just wide right.
 
The tie was broken in the 81st minute. In a wild sequence inside the penalty area, reserve forward Sidney Warden scored off a ball played by forward Joshua Torres and defender Paul Brauckmann from the top of the six-yard box. UIC went up 2-1, and the score held until the final whistle.
 
Of Note
- Wilson's score was his sixth goal of the season. He found the back of the net in back-to-back matches to close his collegiate career.
- Wilson's five shots were a match-high and his second-highest shot total in a outing this season.
- Sophomore forward Brock Kiper and senior forward Ayden Von Essen each recorded two shots.
- Junior goalkeeper Grant Calvert made six saves.
- The Bruins qualified for their conference's postseason tournament for the sixth consecutive season.
- The opening round loss in the MVC Championship is Belmont's first first-round loss in its conference tournament since 2018.

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