Men's Soccer Welcomes FAU to Rose Park Sunday Evening

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Seeking a 2-0 start to 2023, the Belmont University men's soccer team hosts Florida Atlantic Sunday evening at E.S. Rose Park. Kickoff from the Music City is set for 6 p.m.
 
The weekend match will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Wes Boling on the call. Live stats of the contest can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• After going 2-0 in preseason exhibition play, the Bruins began their fall campaign Thursday night at Rose Park with a 1-0 victory over visiting Georgia State.
• Sophomore forward Brock Kiper notched his first career goal with a header in the 37th minute following a delivery from junior defender Alex Johnson. Senior midfielder AJ Chastonay provided the feed to Johnson with both receiving an assist for the deciding goal. It was Johnson's first career assist.
• With Thursday's win, fifth-year head coach David Costa improved to 3-1-1 in season openers.
• Belmont is looking to start 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
• Graduate forward Case Cox, who accounted for three of the Bruins' four goals in their two exhibition wins, was named to the 2023 Hermann Trophy Watch List last week. One of only five Missouri Valley Conference players selected to the prestigious 37-man preseason watch list, Cox was also tabbed a Player to Watch by United Soccer Coaches. He was an All-West Region First Team and All-MVC Second Team performer last fall and made this year's Preseason All-MVC Team. The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) and is the highest individual honor in collegiate soccer recognizing the National Player of the Year.

Bruins at Home

• Belmont holds a 19-match home unbeaten streak which dates back to March 30, 2021, and the Bruins have gotten a result in 21 of their last 23 matches at Rose Park.
• During its home undefeated streak, Belmont has outscored its opponents 27-8.
• The Bruins are 22-7-8 at Rose Park since the start of the 2018 season.

 
Versus FAU

• Sunday will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs with FAU holding 3-2 advantage in the series.
• The two teams last met on Aug. 28, 2016, at Rose Park with Belmont prevailing 2-1 in overtime with a 94th-minute goal.
• The Bruins are 2-1 versus the Owls in Nashville with FAU's lone road victory in the series taking place on Oct. 21, 2004, a single-goal affair.
• Belmont and FAU are former ASUN Conference foes (2001-05).

 
About FAU

• The Owls began their season Thursday night with a high-scoring 6-4 win at Lipscomb, who is receiving votes in the preseason national coaches poll.
• After falling behind 2-0, FAU scored four-straight goals to take a 4-2 lead in the 50th minute. The Bisons responded and evened the match in the 57th minute before the Owls got a PK in the 59th minute and another score in the 62nd minute. Two of FAU's six goals came on PKs.
• The Owls were picked seventh in the American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll.
• FAU went 4-9-3 overall and 3-4-2 in The American last season, tying for sixth in its first year in the conference.
• Graduate defender Tom Abrahamsson, who punched in both of the Owls' PKs in the road win at Lipscomb Thursday, was named Preseason All-AAC.
• Junior forward Noah Kvifte, a transfer from NCAA Division II St. Leo University in Florida, scored twice (46' and 62') in FAU's season-opening victory.

 
Up Next
The Bruins embark on their first road trip of the young season next weekend when they head to Birmingham, Alabama, for UAB's Soccer for the Cure Classic. Belmont will face both Houston Christian next Friday, Sept. 1 and Chicago State next Sunday, Sept. 3 at Birmingham Southern's Goldfarb Field at Berylson Soccer Park.
 
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.