Men's Soccer Hosts Bradley Saturday in the Music City

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Continuing its four-match homestand, the Belmont University men's soccer team returns to E.S. Rose Park Saturday evening for a Missouri Valley Conference tilt with visiting Bradley University. Kickoff from the Music City is slated for 6 p.m.
 
The league matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Spencer Boehme on the call. Live stats can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
Saturday is alumni night at Rose Park with Bruin men's soccer alumni set to be recognized on the field at halftime. Alumni will also take part in an alumni match at Rose Prak Saturday at noon.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont (3-6-1, 0-3-0 MVC) is seeking its first MVC win of the season following a 1-1 draw with fourth-ranked Western Michigan in both team's Valley opener on Sept. 15 in Nashville and consecutive road losses at Drake (4-0) and receiving-votes Bowling Green (1-0).
• The Bruins are also looking to snap a three-match losing streak after dropping a 1-0 decision to Memphis Tuesday night in non-conference action at Rose Park.
• Tuesday's setback against the Tigers was only Belmont's second loss at home in four seasons. In fact, the Bruins have been defeated at Rose Park just three times since 2020.
• Memphis scored late in the first half and outshot Belmont 6-1 in the opening 45 minutes of play. Despite tallying eight second-half shots, including placing three on target, the Bruins couldn't find the equalizer.
• The midweek loss to the Tigers also snapped Belmont's seven-match home unbeaten streak, which had been intact for exactly one year.
• Freshman midfielder Caleb Robertson made his first career start Tuesday and redshirt freshman defender Dru Stanton saw a career-high 54 minutes of action on the pitch in his second-ever appearance.
• The Bruins last scored a goal in their home draw with the nationally-ranked Broncos and last earned a victory on Aug. 29 against Northern Kentucky (2-1).
• Belmont's tie with Western Michigan was the Bruins' first result against a top-five opponent in program history and ninth all-time result against a top-25 team, seven of which have taken place in the last five seasons.
• Five of Belmont's final seven matches of the regular season are at home.
• The Bruins are 2-1-1 at Rose Park this year.
• Three of Belmont's last four opponents are ranked in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI (Rating Percentage Index) and the Bruins have already faced four teams in the top 75 this season (Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Drake, South Carolina).
• Bradley is No. 120 in the latest NCAA RPI, while Belmont enters the weekend at No. 147.
• Senior captain midfielder AJ Chastonay, who has twice been named Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week this season and was selected as MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17, leads the Bruins in both goals (5) and points (12). With 18 career goals in five seasons, Chastonay ranks third in program history. The Louisville, Kentucky (Saint Xavier HS), native recently surpassed Niccolo Dagnoni (2018-21), Will Moorad (2008-11) and Jeremy Littlejohn (1995-98) on Belmont's all-time goals list.
• Both Chastonay and fellow senior midfielder Eric Stiles are the winningest players in school history. They have helped lead the Bruins to an impressive 37 match wins across five seasons.
• Belmont was undefeated through its first three matches for the second consecutive season.
• The Bruins went 8-7-3 overall last fall, finishing in the top 90 of the NCAA RPI for the fourth-straight season. It also marked Belmont's fourth consecutive winning season.
• In their second year back in the MVC after being an affiliate member of the Valley for the 2000 season, the Bruins tied for fifth place with a 3-4-1 league record.
• Belmont was picked fifth in the 2024 MVC Preseason Poll.
• Junior defender Dylan Steely was tabbed Preseason All-MVC after earning United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Third Team honors last season. The Hoover, Alabama (Hoover HS), native was an All-MVC Second Team pick last year and garnered MVC All-Tournament Team and MVC All-Freshman Team accolades in 2022.
• Head coach David Costa has led the Bruins to 42 match wins and 18 draws, including two conference tournament championship match appearances, over six seasons.
• Belmont challenges itself against some of the nation's best this season, facing eight top-100 programs from a year ago including four NCAA Championship teams.

Bruins at Home

• The Bruins have gotten a result in 31 of their last 34 matches at Rose Park, outscoring their opponents 52-22 during that stretch.
• Since the start of the 2018 season, Belmont is 27-9-11 at home.
• The Bruins have finished .500 or better at home each of the last six seasons.

Versus Bradley

• Saturday evening will be the ninth all-time meeting between Belmont and the Braves with Bradley holding a slight 4-3-1 lead in the series.
• The Bruins are 2-1 all-time against the Braves in Nashville and 2-0 versus Bradley at Rose Park.
• Belmont has won both of its matchups with the Braves since rejoining the MVC, including a 3-1 victory in Peoria, Illinois, last October. Graduate midfielder Jansen Wilson, who is now a USL Championship star for Louisville City FC, recorded a brace with 23rd and 54th-minute goals after senior defender Alex Clayton put the Bruins up 1-0 in the 11th minute.
• In its first season back in the Valley, Belmont defeated Bradley 2-1 in Nashville on Sept. 17, 2022. Steely put the Bruins up 1-0 in the 10th minute and Belmont took a 2-0 lead on a 59th-minute goal from senior forward Liam O'Brien. Steely's first-half header on a set piece from Wilson was his first career goal.

About the Braves

• The Braves (3-6-1, 0-3-0 MVC) are on a five-match losing streak and have not won since a 1-0 triumph over visiting Purdue University Fort Wayne on Aug. 31.
• Bradley's last result was on Sept. 5, a 2-2 road draw at Xavier.
• The Braves began MVC play with a 1-0 loss at Missouri State (Sept. 15), before being defeated at home by then 24th-ranked Bowling Green (2-1) on Sept. 21 and Evansville (2-0) last Saturday night.
• Bradley is 0-3-1 on the road this season.
• The Braves' other two wins this year came against Chicago State (1-0) in the season opener on Aug. 22 and Western Illinois (4-0) on Aug. 29.
• Bradley was picked last in the league's preseason predicted order of finish after going 1-6-1 in the MVC last fall and tying for last place in the Valley standings with a 5-6-6 overall record.
• The Braves feature sophomore forward DJ Koulai, a returning MVC All-Freshman Team member, and their leading goal scorer, sophomore forward Mitch Coughlon, who has found the back of the net three times this season.
• Both senior midfielder Francesco Pettinaroli and senior forward Kevin Mejias have scored a pair of goals, while Pettinaroli and junior midfielder Dominic Woolley, a NJCAA Murray State College transfer, have each accounted for a pair of assists.

Up Next
The Bruins step back out of MVC play Tuesday night when they host NCAA Division III Covenant College. Kickoff from Rose Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Next Saturday, Oct. 12, Belmont hosts receiving-votes Missouri State. All Bruin home matches are broadcast on ESPN+.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's soccer on social media – @BelmontMSoccer on X, formerly 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.