Box Score
Two early goals in the first half proved to be the difference as the Bob Jones University Bruins defeated Laurel University 2-0 on Tuesday night in Greenville, South Carolina. "We came out with the energy we needed and defensively we set the tone," Coach Jesse McCormick said. "We did well in our transition into the attack early on." 

The Bruins entered the match after a disappointing 5-1 loss earlier this week against Montreat College. The Bruins were ready to right the ship as they took the pitch at Alumni Stadium. 

 

In the opening minutes, the Bruins used good combination play to work into the attacking third for shots. It didn't take long for the Bruins to get on the board as a deflected shot from Garrett Martin found its way to the feet of AJ Redlinger right in front of the net. Redlinger slid the shot past Lions goalie Tristen Walker to put the Bruins up 1-0 just three minutes into the match. 

The Bruins kept up the pressure and continued to gain space. Josh Harm gained found an opening in the 8th minute and rocketed a shot towards goal, but his shot rimmed off the crossbar and sailed wide. The Bruins kept knocking on the door, and eventually broke through as John Wilson gained space just inside the box and found Jared Simmons who fired a low shot into the net to make it 2-0 Bruins. The team had several more chances to score, but ended the half up 2-0. 

In the second half, the Lions came out strong in the opening minutes and worked the ball towards the Bruins net. Newcomer Dundas Clark made several saves for the Bruins in his first career home start to keep the Lions off the board. The Bruins began to even out the possession in the second half as John Wilson continued to be a headache for Lions defenders as he created space for passes and shots. The Bruins had several chances late in the game, but Lions' goalie Tristen Walker made several great saves to keep the match close. 

The Bruins defense stood strong against the Lions offensive rush in the final minutes of the match and as the horn sounded, the Bruins celebrated the shutout with a 2-0 win. 

"We have a lot of positives in this match," Coach McCormick said. "That being said, we did some things that were a little predictable tonight offensively which made it easier for them to defend." 

AJ Redlinger scored his 3rd goal of the season and Jared Simmons notched his 2nd. John Wilson recorded the lone assist of the match and Dundas Clark completed his first clean sheet as a Bruins with 4 saves. The team outshot Laurel University 27-4 with 13 Bruins' shots on frame. With the win, the Bruins improve to 6-3 on the season. Next up, the team will travel to Toccoa Falls Georgia on Friday night for a match with Toccoa Falls College. The Bruins defeated the Screaming Eagles earlier this season 6-0 in Greenville. 

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