Box Score NASHVILLE – Lipscomb men’s soccer continues its recent slide with a 3-1 loss at home Saturday night to former longtime ASUN rival, ETSU.
The loss makes it four in a row for the Bisons (1-4) after opening the season with a shutout win over Belmont. ETSU improves to 3-4 with the win.
The story has been the same for the Purple and Gold during its recent struggles: score early and concede late. Friday was no different.
Lipscomb took a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute before allowing three unanswered goals behind breakdowns on defense. The score could have been much worse if it weren’t for a number of incredible saves from senior keeper Chris Zappia.
The netminder scooped up six saves to take his season total to an ASUN-leading 25. Zappia’s biggest save came five minutes after the Bisons took the lead and were whistled for a foul in the box. He made an initial save and then Bucs tried to push the rebound across, but he came up big again with a diving stop at the line.
Zappis came up with a trio of point-blanks stops in the second half as well, before ETSU finally got the go-ahead goal past him.
SCORING
21’ – Ihaia Delaney got in the books with his first goal of the season to give the Bisons the first lead at 1-0. Redshirt sophomore Javier Leija played a ball forward in the box to Delaney, who dribbled at the keeper before putting it just inside the right post.
35’ – After the Bisons were whistled for a foul, the Bucs were awarded a free kick. Cameron Woodfin drilled a 30-yard strike past Zappia and into the right side of the net.
57’ – Danny Barlow put ETSU on top for the first time of the night with a ball off a rebounded corner back across the box at the far post.
78’ – The Bucs tacked on the final goal when Bruno Andrade finished a ball that was lifted over the top of the defense by Cameron Woodfin.
QUICK HITS
- The Bisons are now 2-8-1 against ETSU all-time.
- ETSU outshot Lipscomb 14-11 overall and 9-6 in shots on goal.
- Lipscomb was paced by Daniel Zapata and Javier Leija who had three shots each. Leija put two on target.
- The assist on Delaney’s goal was Leija’s team-leading second of the season.
- Delaney scored three goals in 2017.
UP NEXT
Lipscomb has a quick turnaround before hosting Kentucky Tuesday night at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with the Wildcats.
