LOUISVILLE, KY. – Lipscomb Women's Soccer fell 2-1 on the road Wednesday night to Bellarmine in a tightly contested ASUN matchup.
The Bisons came out aggressive from the opening whistle, controlling possession and pushing the pace in the attacking half. Hailey Johnson found herself with several early breakaway chances, keeping the Bellarmine back line under pressure. That strong start paid off in the 22nd minute when London De Fini sent a perfectly placed corner into the box, finding Maddy Rhodes, who headed it home to give Lipscomb the 1-0 lead.
Bellarmine responded in the 33rd minute with the equalizer, capitalizing on one of its few first-half opportunities. Despite several late first-half set pieces from the Bisons—including a dangerous free kick from Bella Carapazza and a strong header from Lauren Bennett—the score remained tied heading into halftime.
The second half was a physical battle, with both sides trading possession and opportunities. Lipscomb goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar came up big on multiple occasions, making several impressive saves to keep the match level. The Bisons continued to threaten offensively with good looks from Jaide-Simone Prejean and Annessa Shively, but couldn't quite convert.
In the 81st minute, Bellarmine broke through to take the lead, and despite a late surge from Lipscomb, the Bisons were unable to find an equalizer before time expired.
Lipscomb now turns its attention to the regular-season finale on Saturday, October. 25, when the Bisons travel to face Eastern Kentucky before returning home to Nashville to host the first rounds of the ASUN Championship Tournament next week.