NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A first-half brace from senior midfielder
AJ Chastonay propelled the Belmont University men's soccer team past Northern Kentucky 2-1 Thursday night at E.S. Rose Park in the Music City. Earning their second consecutive home victory, the Bruins (2-0-1) gritted out a competitive second half after the visiting Norse (0-2-1) scored late in the opening half.
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A corner kick from junior midfielder
Brad Dildy at the 15-minute mark was juggled in the six-yard box by redshirt junior forward
Jimiyu Mark and junior defender
Dylan Steely before Chastonay punched it in. He then gave Belmont a 2-0 lead in the 30th minute.
Senior midfielder
Eric Stiles headed in the ball to graduate forward
Esteban Leiva from the top of the penalty area and through traffic, Leiva was able to find a wide-open Chastonay in front of goal. Chastonay wasted no time in swinging in his third goal of the young season, giving the Bruins what would end up being an insurmountable advantage.
However, Northern Kentucky would respond in the 40th minute with a well-struck left-footed boot from the Norse's Nico Stoddart at the top of the box following a long feed.
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The match featured 10 cautions, including nine in the second half, and 26 total fouls.
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After both teams recorded four shots each in the first half, Belmont outshot Northern Kentucky 9-3 in the closing 45 minutes.
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The Bruins limited the Norse to only three shots on target for the evening.
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Northern Kentucky goalkeeper Nic Lemen made a pair of spectacular second-half saves on promising looks from sophomore midfielder
Simeon Betapudi in the 58th minute and Chastonay in the 81st.
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The win is Belmont's first against the Norse. Northern Kentucky had won each of the last three matchups 1-0.
Of Note
- The Bruins extend their home unbeaten streak to six.
- Belmont has gotten a result in 30 of its last 32 matches at Rose Park, outscoring its opponents 51-20 during that stretch.
- Since the start of the 2018 season, the Bruins are 27-8-10 at home.
- For the second-straight season, Belmont is undefeated through the first three matches.
- Chastonay's brace is his first since his college debut against his father's squad, Bellarmine, on Feb. 21, 2021.
- Chastonay scored his 15th and 16th career goals.
- Stiles earned his first career assist.
- Mark has notched an assist in back-to-back matches.
Up Next
The Bruins embark on a strenuous three-match road stretch this weekend to begin the month of September. Belmont takes on Florida Atlantic Sunday in Boca Raton, Florida. Kickoff from the FAU Soccer Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET. The non-conference tilt in the Sunshine State will be broadcast on
ESPN+.
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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 theÂ
official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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#ItsBruinTime
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