Men's Soccer Set to Host Georgia State for Season Opener

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 2023 Belmont University men's soccer regular season will get underway Thursday evening at E.S. Rose Park in Nashville as Georgia State visits for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
 
The Bruins' season opener will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Wes Boling on the call. Live stats of the match can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.

The match is a red out and fans are encouraged to wear red. Free red t-shirts will be available to all fans.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont won both of its exhibition matches, defeating the University of Alabama in Huntsville 2-0 at home two Saturdays ago and topping the University of Alabama at Birmingham 2-1 this past Friday on the road.
• Graduate forward Case Cox accounted for three of the Bruins' four goals during the preseason, scoring twice in the first half against the visiting Chargers and knocking in another versus the Blazers last weekend. Senior midfielder Sam Rowan scored Belmont's second goal at UAB.
• Along with being named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Team, Cox was tabbed a Player to Watch by United Soccer Coaches after earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team honors last fall. He was one of just five players across the Valley to garner first-team all-region recognition last year.
• The Bruins were picked fifth in the MVC preseason poll following a vote of the conference's head coaches.
• The now nine-team MVC has a new look this fall with departure of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the addition of Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.
• Under the direction of fifth-year head coach David Costa, Belmont is 2-1-1 in season openers. The Bruins shut out Southern Indiana 2-0 last August to begin their 2022 campaign.
• Belmont went 7-4-7 overall in 2022, marking the Bruins' third-straight winning season, and finished ranked in the top 90 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) for the third year in a row.
• In its first season back in the Valley after being an affiliate member of the MVC for the 2000 season, Belmont came within a single goal of a third-straight conference championship title match. Going 2-2-4 against the MVC last fall, the Bruins tied for fourth in the conference standings before reaching their fourth consecutive conference tournament semifinal.
• Belmont returns 14 letter winners and 19 players total from last season. The Bruins bring back six starters, including All-MVC Second Team performers Cox, senior midfielder Michael Saunders and graduate midfielder Jansen Wilson. MVC All-Freshman Team defenders Riley Clothier and Dylan Steely, along with two-time All-Southern Conference Second Team and 2021 all-region midfielder AJ Chastonay, are also back for Belmont.
• In addition to the Bruins' talented returners, Belmont welcomes four transfers (junior defender Alex Clayton, junior forward Jimiyu Mark, sophomore defender Nate Mefford, junior midfielder Rubyn Singh Gill) and four freshmen (midfielder Connor MacLean, defenders AJ Elliott and Dru Stanton, goalkeeper Drew Vinson) for 2023.
• The Bruins ranked among the top 25 nationally in both goals against average (0.89) and shutout percentage (.444) last season.
• Five opponents on Belmont's schedule ended last year ranked in the top 50 of the NET – Lipscomb 13th (Oct. 10), Western Michigan 16th (Oct. 27), Missouri State 32nd (Sept. 22), Memphis 43rd (Sept. 8), Georgia State 48th (Aug. 24) – and seven made at least one of the last two NCAA Championships – Lipscomb, Memphis, Missouri State and Western Michigan in 2022 and Bowling Green (Oct. 14), Georgia State, Lipscomb, Missouri State and Northern Illinois (Oct. 22) in 2021.

 
Bruins at Home

• The Bruins hold an 18-match home unbeaten streak which dates back to March 30, 2021, and Belmont has gotten a result in 20 of its last 22 matches at Rose Park. During their home undefeated streak, the Bruins have outscored their opponents 26-8. Belmont is 21-7-8 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season.

 
Last Time vs. Georgia State

• The Panthers visited the Music City two seasons ago on Sept. 10, 2021, for one of the most memorable matches at Rose Park in recent years. Forward Liam O'Brien recorded a brace, including the golden goal on a diving header in the 105th minute. The 2-1 double overtime thriller closed out a 3-0 homestand for the Bruins.
• Belmont is 5-10-0 all-time against Georgia State and 2-4-0 versus the Panthers in Nashville.

 
About Georgia State

• Georgia State went 12-4-3 last season and finished third in the Sun Belt Conference with a 4-2-2 conference mark. The Panthers were upset 5-0 by seventh-seeded James Madison in the Sun Belt Championship semifinals.
• Exhibition opponents for Georgia State included NCAA Division II Clayton State, Presbyterian and preseason No. 9 Clemson.
• The Panthers tied for sixth in the Sun Belt's preseason predicted order of finish.
• Georgia State is just one season removed from reaching the round of 32 as an at-large team at the 2021 NCAA Championship, getting past Charlotte in a single-goal affair in the first round.
• Senior striker Simon Carlson, an All-Sun Belt First Team selection last year, and sophomore midfielder Gavin Williams were both named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.

 
Up Next
The Bruins host American Athletic Conference member Florida Atlantic Sunday at 6 p.m. The weekend 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.