Box Score The highly anticipated rematch between the Bob Jones University Bruins and the Clearwater Christian College Cougars lived up to the hype on Saturday afternoon in Florida. The two teams met in the 2013 NCCAA DII national championship last season with the Bruins capturing the title with a 1-0 victory.
The Bruins entered Saturday afternoon's match with a 7-3-1 record after defeating Florida College on Thursday night 2-1. The Bruins would be without several starters who are out due to injury. The team had been ranked #1 all season until their upset loss at the hands of Toccoa Falls College dropped them to #2. Clearwater took over the ranking at #1 and entered Saturday's match with a 6-4 record after a 5-0 loss to Eckerd University.
The stage was set as the top two teams in the country squared off in Clearwater, Florida. The fresh rain on the grass would provide somewhat sloppy field conditions for both teams as they took the field.
As the match began, both teams asserted their physical play to try to gain momentum and establish possession. The Bruins had switched up their tactical system due to several injuries and ailments in their lineup. Newcomers Sarah Herr and Anna Daulton played key roles on the offense for the Bruins as the tandem combined for several great chances on frame. On the defensive side, the Bruins d-line stood strong against the Cougars attack. Despite many chances for both teams, the Bruins and Cougars were locked in a scoreless match 0-0 at the half.
"Given the wet conditions for the field both teams really stepped up today," Coach Chris Carmichael said. "We had a lot of improvement in our possession and created a number of great scoring opportunities."
In the second half, the Bruins and Cougars looked to for that lone goal to take the lead. Early on in the half, Bruins goalie Tori Anderson made a beautiful save to keep the match scoreless. The Bruins responded by going on the attack as Rebecca Luttrell and Jenn Wise showed great combination play to move into open scoring lanes. Each opportunity was saved by Cougars goalie Charity Nelson.
Even at the end of regulation and two overtime periods, the Bruins and Cougars finished the match as they began with a 0-0 draw. "The defense played unbelievably strong," Coach Carmichael said. "The entire team worked very hard and this match should give us some momentum heading into next week. Tweaking our system a bit will help us adjust and finish the season strong."
With the draw, the Bruins record stands at 7-3-2. The team will return home from their two-game Florida road trip before heading to Laurel University on Monday night.
