Coming off its first away match of the season, Belmont men’s soccer tied No. 17 Lipscomb University in a scoreless Battle of the Boulevard at E.S. Rose Park on Tuesday.
The Bruins rallied with an impressive team performance, securing the clean sheet and coming inches away from winning the game after hitting the woodwork twice.
The first chance for Belmont came quickly in the 10th minute with a counterattack spurred by senior Jansen Wilson, who dribbled through Lipscomb defenders on the left flank. Wilson attempted to bend a shot into the goal, but the Bison goalkeeper deflected the ball away.
Belmont continued to push and nearly scored again as Wilson served up a screamer just outside of the 18-yard box but was denied once again.
Both Belmont and Lipscomb started the second half strong with the same focus.
Bison forward Tyrese Spicer turned around Belmont’s midfield and defense with his quick sprints. He launched a shot into the net but narrowly missed.
And in a game full of drama and yellow cards, Belmont and Lipscomb were playing against the clock.
With under two minutes remaining, freshman defender Riley Clothier won the ball back in Belmont’s defensive third, made a run through four Lipscomb players and served senior Liam O’Brien a goal-winning opportunity.
But O’Brien was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, firing the ball just over the bar.
Belmont and Lipscomb settled for a tight draw, meaning the boulevard trophy will stay with the Bruins for another year.
Graduate midfielder JP Armbruster was proud of the team’s performance against the Bisons.
“We put our heads down and worked for 90 minutes and on top of that, we played with a lot of courage, especially some young guys stepped up,” said Armbruster.
Graduate goalkeeper Nate Logan agreed.
“Everyone was getting their job done and doing what they were supposed to do,” he said.
Despite the draw, the Bruins remain undefeated at E.S. Rose Park, having not lost at home since March 30, 2021.
“This is our home,” said Armbruster. “We know that a lot of teams don't like playing us here, and we take a lot of pride in that, so protecting Rose is the first priority.”
Belmont will hit the road again to play the University of North Carolina Asheville on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
–
PHOTO: Ben Burton
This article was written by Federico Pravettoni