Men's Soccer Travels to Memphis for Friday Night Showdown

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a battle of unbeatens, the Belmont University men's soccer team travels west on Interstate 40 to take on the University of Memphis Friday night in non-conference road action. Kickoff from the Billy J. Murphy Soccer Complex in Memphis is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
The primetime matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Jeff Brightwell on the call. Live stats of the match can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins went 1-0-1 last weekend at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Soccer for the Cure Classic in Birmingham, Alabama. Reaching the championship match of the in-season tournament, Belmont defeated Houston Christian University 2-1 last Friday before earning a 1-1 draw with Chicago State this past Sunday. The two matches were the Bruins' first away from the Music City this season.
• At 2-0-2 on the young season, Belmont is looking to remain unbeaten. The Bruins also began their 2020 campaign, which was played during the spring of 2021, undefeated through the first four matches of the season. Belmont went on to start the condensed 2020-21 season 5-0-2.
• Graduate midfielder Jansen Wilson assisted on both of the Bruins' goals in last week's victory over the Huskies of Houston Christian. It was his third two-assist match of his career. He last recorded two assists in a single outing on Oct. 1, 2022, during Belmont's 3-3 home draw with the University of Illinois Chicago.
• Junior goalkeeper Grant Calvert, who is in his first season in a starting role, ranks among the top 50 keepers nationally in four key statistical categories. He is 15th in the nation in saves (18), 27th in save percentage (.857), 35th in saves per match (4.5) and 43rd in goals against average (0.75).
• Redshirt freshman midfielder Simeon Betapudi is a native of Collierville, Tennessee, which is a suburb of Memphis. Prepping at Memphis University School, Betapudi was only the second-ever academy product to sign with Memphis 901 FC of the USL Championship league in May of 2021 before re-signing as an academy player in the spring of 2022. A finalist for Tennessee Male Soccer Player of the Year, Betapudi played club soccer for Memphis FC and was a part of the Region III Olympic Development Program.
• Former Bruin standout goalkeeper Drew Romig is Memphis 901 FC's starting keeper. During his time at Belmont, Romig set the program record for career goals against average – 0.95 across 28 matches – and was named United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team and All-Southern Conference Second Team. He set the school record for shutouts in a single season in the fall of 2021 (8) and was twice selected to the SoCon All-Tournament Team.

 
Versus Memphis

• Friday night will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Tigers own a commanding 16-1-1 lead in the series.
• The two teams have faced each other each of the last two preseasons with both exhibition contests ending in ties through regulation.
• Last year, the Bruins played Memphis to a scoreless draw through 90 minutes at E.S. Rose Park to open exhibition play. On Aug. 20, 2021, the two squads played to a 2-2 tie in Memphis.
• The last time the two met during the regular season was on Sept. 17, 2019, a 2-0 win for the Tigers in Nashville.
• Belmont's last regular season trip to Memphis took place on Sept. 15, 2018, which resulted in a 3-0 win for the host Tigers.
• The Bruins' last result versus Memphis was on Aug. 25, 2017, when Belmont earned a scoreless draw to open the season.
• The lone win for the Bruins in the series took place on Sept. 21, 1997, when Belmont defeated the Tigers 2-1 in the Music City.

 
About Memphis

• Memphis enters the weekend 3-0-1 with a trio of road victories at Green Bay (2-0), Northern Illinois (3-1) and Central Arkansas (2-1).
• The Tigers' one tie came at home last Friday when Memphis played Georgia State to a 1-1 draw. The Panthers are a common opponent between the Tigers and the Bruins as Belmont defeated Georgia State 1-0 to open its fall campaign.
• Under the direction of head coach Richard Mulrooney, Memphis is coming off a banner year. The Tigers earned their first at-large berth to the NCAA Championship last season and finished 9-6-4 on the year.
• Making its first NCAA Championship appearance since 2004, Memphis nearly upset top-20 ranked Saint Louis in the opening round before ultimately falling in overtime.
• The Tigers are the second of seven programs on the Bruins' schedule who made at least one of the last two NCAA Championships – Georgia State, Memphis, Missouri State, Lipscomb, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.
• Memphis was picked to finish fifth in the American Athletic Conference after going 5-3-1 against the league last season and tying for fourth in the final conference standings.
• The Tigers feature Preseason All-AAC picks Alberto Cruz and Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos. An All-AAC Second Team, AAC All-Rookie Team and AAC All-Tournament Team performer last year, sophomore forward Cruz already has a goal and an assist this season after leading Memphis last fall with eight goals. A junior forward, Rodrigues dos Santos was named United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team and All-AAC Second Team last season.
• Following the opening week of the season, Rodrigues dos Santos was tabbed College Soccer News National Player of the Week and American Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals in the first two matches. Like Belmont graduate forward Case Cox, Rodrigues dos Santos was placed on the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. He already has a team-best four goals to his name, along with an assist.
• Senior defender Jackson Kim is the reigning American Defensive Player of the Week.
• Junior goalkeeper Colin Welsh, who has only allowed two goals thus far in 2023, earned both All-East Region and All-AAC Second Team honors last fall after totaling 62 saves.

 
Up Next
The Bruins remain on the road next week before returning to Rose Park and beginning Missouri Valley Conference play next weekend. Belmont heads to Southern Indiana Tuesday for a 7 p.m. kickoff in Evansville, Indiana. Next Saturday, Sept. 16, the Bruins host UIC.
 
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.