Men’s Soccer Returns to Rose Park, Hosts Mercer Friday Night

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Returning to E.S. Rose Park, the Belmont University men's soccer team welcomes former conference foe Mercer to the Music City Friday night. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
The home match will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Jack Susanin on the call. Live stats of the contest can also be followed by visiting BelmontBruins.com.
 
Admission is always free to Belmont soccer matches at Rose Park.
 
What's Bruin

• The Bruins (1-2-0) went 1-1 in their two road matches to close out the opening month of the season.
• Belmont conceded two second-half goals in a 2-0 setback at Central Arkansas last Friday night after routing Wright State 6-1 in the Bruins' first road match of the season on Sunday, Aug. 23.
• Five different Belmont players found the back of the net in the Bruins' convincing triumph over the Raiders, including sophomore midfielder Paul Claes Nielsen, who recorded his first brace. Graduate midfielder John McDowell opened Belmont's scoring and also provided an assist, while freshman forward Aiden Pierpoint put the Bruins up 4-1 before the end of the first half.
• The four goals were the most in a half by Belmont since the Bruins also scored four in the first half of a 4-0 win at Southern Indiana on Sept. 12, 2023.
• Fifth-year defender Nate Mefford and graduate midfielder Elijah John punched in two second-half goals.
• Belmont's six-goal performance came after Wright State took a 1-0 lead only 62 seconds into the match.
• The result against the Raiders was the most goals the Bruins scored in a match since an identical 6-1 home win over Niagara University on Aug. 27, 2017.
• In fact, Belmont had notched six goals against a NCAA Division I opponent only two other times prior to its win at Wright State – versus Niagara and at Lipscomb on Sept. 18, 2001 (6-0).
• The Bruins have created plenty of chances over their last two matches, registering 16 shots - eight on target - in their victory over the Raiders and 12 shots - seven on goal - last weekend against the Bears of Central Arkansas.
• Belmont welcomed 10 newcomers this year, including eight over the summer and two in January – senior forward Nathan Ferguson and freshman defender Judah McCloud.
• The Bruins' 2026 class is comprised of six freshmen and four transfers.
• Belmont returned 16 from 2025, including 12 letter winners.
• Only four returning Bruins started matches last season – Claes Nielsen (16) and fellow sophomore midfielder Nzuhri Biggar (10), captain graduate midfielder Ethan Schlegel (9), and senior forward Lucas Wolthers (6).
• After finishing just one point shy of claiming its first Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship last year, Belmont was picked fifth in the league's preseason poll as voted by the Valley's head coaches.
• The Bruins went 3-2-2 in MVC play in 2025 and finished 8-3-6 overall.
• Belmont has reached eight victories in three of the last five seasons.
• The Bruins went undefeated through their first 11 matches last season (6-0-5) for the first time in school history.
• Belmont put together a program-record 13-match unbeaten streak from Oct. 29, 2024, through Oct. 7, 2025.
• Claes Nielsen, an MVC All-Freshman Team selection last fall, was named to the Preseason All-MVC Team. The Copenhagen, Denmark, native started all but one match his freshman season and led the Bruins in assists (5).

Bruins at Home

• Belmont has earned a result in 38 of its last 48 matches at Rose Park, outscoring its opponents 67-37 during that stretch.
• Since the start of the 2018 season, the Bruins are 32-16-13 at home.
• Belmont has finished .500 or better at home for eight-straight seasons.

Versus Mercer

• Friday night will be a rematch of the 2021 Southern Conference Championship title match, which was decided on an 88th-minute goal by the Bears' Trevor Martineau.
• The Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the opening 25 minutes of the championship match, which was hosted by Mercer in Macon, Georgia, before the host Bears scored three-straight goals. Senior midfielder Esteban Lestido then equalized for Belmont in the 80th minute.
• The SoCon title match in the Bruins' last season in the conference was a rematch of a regular season thriller, which was also decided by a single goal in double overtime. Also hosted by Mercer at Betts Stadium, Belmont nearly overcame a two-goal deficit and equalized in the 83rd minute before the Bears' Martineau scored a game winner in the 108th minute.
• The Bruins defeated Mercer 1-0 in the Bears' last trip to Rose Park on April 3, 2021. Playing the 2020 season during the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Belmont needed the win to secure a spot in the 2020-21 SoCon Championship. Jordan Dozzi, now a notable songwriter and producer who has co-written hits such as "Pour Me A Drink" by Post Malone (feat. Blake Shelton) and "Man Made a Bar" by Morgan Wallen (feat. Eric Church), scored the game-winning goal in the 33rd minute.
• Belmont and Mercer were conference adversaries in both the SoCon (2018-21) and Atlantic Sun Conference (2001-11).

About the Bears

• The Bears (0-3-1) have not scored a live goal this season. Mercer's lone goal on the year came on a penalty kick in a 1-1 draw at North Florida on Sunday, Aug. 23.
• The Bears have been shut out at home against Florida Atlantic (3-0), UNC Wilmington (1-0) and UAB (1-0).
• Mercer was picked fourth in the SoCon Preseason Poll after finishing second in the conference last season with a 3-1-1 league record. Despite going 5-9-4 overall last year, the Bears drew with top-10 ranked and national semifinalist Furman.
• Sophomore defender Eli Bannister, a Preseason All-SoCon Team pick, was an All-SoCon First Team selection last fall.
• Mercer's starting goalkeeper, senior Henry Hampshaw, was an All-SoCon Second Team honoree last season, while Bannister and sophomore midfielders Will Taylor and Manza Masamuna were named to the 2025 SoCon All-Freshman Team.

Up Next
The Bruins host nearby rival Lipscomb Tuesday night for the 29th Battle of the Boulevard. Kickoff from Rose Park is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the rivalry match will be broadcast on ESPN+. The match will be a white out with fans attending encouraged to wear white.
 
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.