Final Score – Lipscomb: 1, Bellarmine: 1
Location – Nashville, Tenn. (Lipscomb Soccer Complex)
Records – Lipscomb: 1-8-6 (0-2-3, ASUN), Bellarmine: 8-3-3 (3-1-1, ASUN)
SCORING SUMMARY
- 26' | Bellarmine – Tate McCrery (A. Jeffrey Cox, Sam Safley)
- 51' | Lipscomb – Robert Rodriguez
HOW IT HAPPENED
After feeling each other out in the opening minutes of the match, Lipscomb found the first good offensive chance in the 6' minute when
Mason Cooper won a free kick in the Bisons' attacking third. The set piece ended with the ball in a dangerous spot in front of frame, and
Levi Jones rose for a header that clanged off the post.
Lipscomb's next chance came in the 12' minute when Will Bryan got the ball on the left wing and created space to get off a shot, but it flew wide to keep the match scoreless.
The next several minutes were largely played in Bellarmine's half of the field, but the Bisons' defense kept the Knights from having many quality chances.
Bellarmine opened scoring in the 26' minute when it took a long throw in its attacking third. The ball was headed to the back post where the Knights slotted the ball to the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
Lipscomb's urgency picked up after the goal as the Bisons began to find more possession. In the 30' minute, the Bisons earned the ball in Bellarmine's half and connected passes up the field. Cooper found the ball at his feet at the top of the box and rocketed a shot, but it flew high as Lipscomb continued to search.
Both sides had a few half-chances in the final minutes of the first frame, but the score remained 1-0 in favor of the Knights at the halftime whistle.
The Bisons started the second frame on the front foot and found a quick equalizer. The play began when Jones worked the ball up the left flank and put a cross in that was punched out by the Knights' defense.
Robert Rodriguez collected the ball and dribbled into space, where he unleashed a long shot that knuckled its way to the back of the net for a 1-1 match.
Bellarmine earned several consecutive free kicks around the 60' minute mark, forcing the Lipscomb defense to stay focused. Lipscomb goalkeeper
Alex Kara came up with a massive save in the 64' minute to keep things level.
In the coming minutes, both sides earned free kicks in dangerous areas, but on each, the shots flew well high of frame as the match stayed deadlocked 1-1 with 12 minutes to play.
Kara was called on again in the 81' minute when Bellarmine got behind the Lipscomb defense and got a clean shot off, but Kara got a mit to the shot and directed it wide.
Bellarmine thought it had a go-ahead goal in the 84' minute when the ball found the back of the net off a free kick, but after video review the call was reversed for offsides and play continued with 6:11 on the clock.
The final minutes of the match were hectic with both sides searching for a late winner, but neither found the back of the net and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The result leveled Lipscomb with Queens in ASUN standings.
UP NEXT
The Bisons' final regular season match is set for Saturday, Nov. 1, against Queens. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
