Box Score
The Bob Jones University Bruins soccer team made a statement in their first match of pool play at the NCCAA DII National tournament as the team defeated #3 Grace Bible College 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon in Kissimmee, Florida.
"We did some things well today," Bruins Coach Jesse McCormick said. "We did a good job of finding the back side and showing good composure once we got the ball back there. We had good ball movement in stretching the field and using the width that we had which created opportunities."
The Bruins entered the tournament as the #2 seed after winning the at-large bid. The opening day of the tournament matched the teams in pool play with the eventual winners meeting in the championship match on Saturday. The Bruins first opponent would be the Grace Bible College Tigers who finished the season at 12-6-1.
In the opening minutes, the Bruins were able to create good chances as they pressured the Tigers net. Jesse Rush and John Wilson each put headers on frame, but the team couldn't find the back of the net. Still, the Bruins continued to go on the attack as they kept the ball in the attacking third for most of the half.
The Bruins finally broke through off great combination play by Garrett Martin and John Wilson as Martin dribbled around the defender and bent a crossing pass into the middle which was redirected into the net by Wilson to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins remained energized as they continued to create scoring opportunities. The team would add to their lead just minutes later as Jesse Rush scored on a great give-and-go play as John Wilson assisted to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead. Wilson stretched the lead further later on as he received a pass from Jared Simmons and buried it in the back of the net to increase the lead 3-0.
Despite having a comfortable lead, the Bruins continued to pressure the Tigers on both sides of the ball to keep possession and move it ahead. Just before the half expired, Stephen Grider slid a pass to Casey Miller and Miller rifled a low shot into the net to give the Bruins a commanding 4-0 lead at the half.
"We told the guys we needed to stay sharp and keep things simple," Coach McCormick said. "We stressed that we needed to be patient and take care of the ball."
In the second half, the Bruins came out strong again and continued to keep possession. The team did a great job defensively of limiting the Tigers opportunities while Andrew Kester made several saves throughout the match to keep GBC off the board. Will Moy increased the Bruins lead in the second half as the freshman looped a shot over the Tiger's keeper to give the Bruins a 5-0 lead.
From there, the Tigers went on the offensive and began to try to claw their way back into the game. But the Bruins defense stood strong as they cleared out opportunities. As the final buzzer sounded, the Bruins had completed the shutout in a 5-0 win over Grace Bible College.
"We're happy with this win but tomorrow is another day and another game so we need to come out and play well and consistent for 90 minutes," Coach McCormick said. "Our back line did a great job today, particularly Josh and Bryce, in moving the ball and leading our team in the game."
John Wilson led the Bruins with two goals and one assist on the day while Jesse Rush, Will Moy and Casey Miller each scored for the team. With the win, the Bruins have taken the first step towards their goal of playing for the national title. The team will play tomorrow against #6 seeded Ozark Christian College at 2:30 p.m.
