Box Score A goal by Warriors' Sam Rowden proved to be the difference as the Bruins fell to Southern Wesleyan University 1-0 on Thursday night. "This was a tough loss for us," Head coach Jesse McCormick said. "Our defense played well and offensively we had a few good looks but just did not generate as much on offense as we needed and are capable of."
The Bruins were looking to pick up their first conference win of the season as they took the field in Central, South Carolina. As the match began, the Warriors moved the ball into position with good combination play, but Andrew Kester made several key saves in the opening minutes. The Bruins had opportunities of their own, but failed to capitalize.
In the 34th minute, the Warriors finally found the back of the net as Sam Rowden put a well-placed shot just past Kester to put Southern Wesleyan up 1-0. The Warriors tried to add to their lead, but the Bruins defense stood strong to keep it 1-0 at the half.
As the second half began, the Bruins desperately looked for the equalizer. They nearly got it off a beautiful shots by Stephen Grider and Karl Walker but Ruben Rodriguez stood strong to keep BJU off the board. The Warriors shored up their defense as SWU was given three cautions throughout the second half.
With each passing minute, the Bruins offensive urgency became that much more intense as the team worked up the field to score. Despite their efforts, the Bruins couldn't find the back of the net. The final whistle ended the Bruins last chances as a comeback as the Warriors held on for a 1-0 win.
The Warriors outshot the Bruins 18-7, but Bruins' goalkeeper Andrew Kester made 5 saves in the loss. The team falls to 1-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference. Next up, the Bruins will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina for a matchup with William Peace University on Saturday night.
