Men's Soccer Travels to Northern Kentucky for Saturday Evening Matchup

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following its first draw of the season, the Belmont University men's soccer team returns to road action Saturday evening at Horizon League member Northern Kentucky. Kickoff from the NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET.
 
The road match will not be broadcast anywhere. However, live stats of the contest can be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins are off to a 3-0-1 start for the first time since the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• Through the first four matches of the season, Belmont has outscored its opponents 6-2.
• After back-to-back road shutouts, including a 1-nile victory at Harvard last Friday and a 2-0 win at Memphis on Sunday, Aug. 24, the Bruins earned a 1-1 draw with Bellarmine University Tuesday night at E.S. Rose Park.
• Senior defender Riley Clothier scored his first career goal in Tuesday's tie with the Knights, giving Belmont a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute on a well-timed header.
• Graduate goalkeeper Grant Calvert made a season-high five saves against Bellarmine, including a full-extension swat at the crossbar.
• Five different Bruins have found the back of the net this season – redshirt junior forward Brock Kiper (2), Clothier (1), graduate defender Parker Forbes (1), sophomore midfielder Louis Peña (1) and freshman forward Jaxon Stokes (1).
• Kiper leads Belmont in both career goals (10) and points (22).
• Senior midfielder Brad Dildy, who assisted on Clothier's goal earlier in the week, has assisted on a goal in consecutive matches and is tied with redshirt senior defender Dylan Steely for the most as a Bruin (5). He has recorded 15 assists throughout his collegiate career.
• Belmont has secured a result in seven of its last eight matches going back to last season.
• The Bruins have gone unbeaten for six-straight matches dating back to Oct. 25 of last year. It is Belmont's longest unbeaten streak since the 2022 season.

Versus Northern Kentucky

• The Bruins and the Norse are meeting on the soccer pitch for the sixth time.
• Northern Kentucky holds a 4-1-0 lead in the series, however, Belmont won last year's matchup, 2-1, in Nashville. Senior midfielder AJ Chastonay scored both of the Bruins' goals in the opening 30 minutes of the match.
• Prior to last August's outing between the two teams, Belmont hadn't faced the Norse since 2017.
• Northern Kentucky defeated the Bruins three times while Belmont was a member of the Horizon League (2015-17) and in 2012.
• The Bruins lost single-goal matches in both of their previous two trips to Highland Heights in 2015 and 2017.

About the Norse

• The Norse (2-1-0) were picked last in the Horizon League Preseason Poll but have two victories on the young season with wins over Union Commonwealth University and Western Illinois on the road.
• Northern Kentucky's lone defeat came at then 21st-ranked Akron (1-0) on Sunday, Aug. 24.
• Last season, the Norse went 3-6-7 and finished in a three-way tie for seventh place in the final Horizon League standings with a 2-3-4 conference record.
• Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Alex Kron is the reigning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week.
• Junior winger Jason Purks was a member of the 2023 Horizon League All-Freshman Team.
• Northern Kentucky is led by fourth-year head coach Tom Poitras.

Up Next
Belmont will have over a week off from match action before returning to the Music City next Sunday, Sept. 14 to face Presbyterian College. Kickoff from Rose Park is scheduled for 1 p.m. All Bruin home matches are free to attend and broadcast live 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.