The Bruins men’s soccer team played the Piedmont College Lions Monday, defeating the Lions 1-0 to improve to a 4-6 record. The Bruins handed Piedmont their third loss in their last four games, dropping their record to 6-5. In defeating the Lions, the Bruins also issued Piedmont their first home loss of the 2014 season.
The Bruins entered the game having lost their prior two matches of the three-game road trip. The Truett-McConnell College Bears defeated the Bruins 2-0 before the Emmanuel College Lions delivered the men another hard loss, 2-1. With the two losses, the Bruins were in desperate need of a turnaround before returning home for the week.
The Bruins played well in the opening minutes and continued to be aggressive on both sides of the field. The Bruins outshot the Lions 9 shots to 7 in the first half, but neither team was able to find the back of the net, ending the half deadlocked at 0-0.
The second half was similar to the first in that both teams played well, with each team pressuring the other. The Lions and Bruins offenses pushed deep into enemy territory on several occasions, resulting in seven corner kicks for each team. Both teams played good defense, although senior Bruins goalie Joseph Wooster and Lions goalie Kenneth Hearn both had their work cut out for them.
With just under 25 minutes remaining in regulation, freshman Jared Simmons sent a beautiful cross to fellow freshman Garrett Martin, who headed the ball past the goalie and into the net. With the Bruins up 1-0, the Lions realized their opportunity of victory was still possible, though quickly fading.
The Lions had a few good chances to try to even the game at one goal apiece, as Piedmont’s Ryan Herbert rocketed a shot that soared just above the crossbar. Shortly after Herbert’s missed shot, the Lions’ Matthew Metzger had a golden opportunity from just inside 20 yards. Wooster, however, denied his shot and ensured the Bruins would stay on top till the end of the match, thwarting any other scoring attempts.
The Bruins’ next contest is a home game tonight against the Tennessee Temple Crusaders, with the men playing at 6 p.m. and the women following at 8 p.m.
