Bruins Host Southern Indiana for Home Opener Sunday Evening

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a season-opening scoreless draw at Georgia State Thursday evening, the Belmont University men's soccer team begins the home portion of its 2024 season Sunday against Southern Indiana. Kickoff from E.S. Rose Park in the Music City is set for 6 p.m.
 
The home opener will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Spencer Boehme on the call. Live stats of the match can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
A Bruins bucket hat is Sunday's fan giveaway, while supplies last.
 
What's Bruin

• Despite the scoreless draw, Belmont put together quite a dominant performance against the Panthers of Georgia State Thursday night in Atlanta. The Bruins outshot the hosts 14-5, earned 11 corner kicks and limited the Panthers to a single shot on goal.
• Both junior forward Brock Kiper and junior midfielder Oscar Hough finished with a trio of shots.
• Junior midfielder Brad Dildy, redshirt junior forward Jimiyu Mark and Hough all made their first Belmont starts Thursday at Georgia State.
• The result was the Bruins' first road result against the Panthers since 2017.
• Belmont improved to 3-1-2 in season openers under sixth-year head coach David Costa.
• The Bruins have earned a result in each of their last four home matches, including three-straight wins last October before tying Evansville (2-2) in Belmont's 2023 regular season and home finale.
• The Bruins went 8-7-3 overall last fall, finishing in the top 90 of the NCAA RPI (Rating Percentage Index) for the fourth consecutive season. It also marked Belmont's fourth-straight winning season.
• In their second year back in the Missouri Valley Conference 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.
• Coach Costa has led the Bruins to 40 match wins and 16 draws, including two conference tournament championship match appearances, over six seasons.
• Belmont takes on 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 28 of their last 30 matches at home, outscoring their opponents 46-19 during that stretch.
• Since the start of the 2018 season, Belmont is 25-8-10 at Rose Park.
• The Bruins have finished .500 or better at home each of the last six seasons.

Versus Southern Indiana

• Sunday will be just the third all-time meeting between Belmont and Southern Indiana.
• The Bruins won the first two matchups, 2-0 and 4-0.
• In Belmont's 2022 season opener, the Bruins defeated the Screaming Eagles 2-0. Forward Liam O'Brien, Belmont's winningest player, notched a brace.
• On Sept. 12 last year, the Bruins scored four first-half goals at Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana. Kiper ('6), Steely ('20) and then true freshman defender AJ Elliott ('33) all found the back of the net. It was Elliott's first career appearance and goal. Midfielder Jansen Wilson, who is having a sensational rookie season with Louisville City FC of the USL Championship, also scored in the 14th minute.

Versus the OVC

• Belmont went 2-0-1 against Ohio Valley Conference teams last year in the OVC's first season of men's soccer.
• In addition to their September win over the Screaming Eagles, the Bruins defeated Houston Christian (2-1) and tied former member Chicago State (1-1) in neutral-site matches in Birmingham, Alabama.

About the Screaming Eagles

• Southern Indiana dropped a 2-1 decision at Butler in Indianapolis Thursday evening to begin its season. Freshman midfielder Ahiro Nakamae evened the match in the 12th minute before the host Bulldogs scored the game winner in the 52nd minute.
• The Screaming Eagles were picked last in the OVC Preseason Poll after going 2-12-3 overall and 1-6-3 in the conference last fall.
• Junior forward Jaron Frye was selected as an OVC Player to Watch.

Up Next
Belmont hosts the Horizon League's Northern Kentucky Thursday night at Rose Park. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. 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.